Newsletter: April 20, 2021

Weekly News (April 20^th, 2021)

Compiled by Emmanuel Appiah, Meaghan Wester, and Nick Gertler with Sara Bannerman, Fenwick McKelvey, Guillaume Dandurand, Marek Blottière, and Kevin Morin

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

This week’s newsletter includes additional links to articles made available through Factiva via McMaster and York respectively. 

(April 13^th-19th, 2021) 

Canadian News

• [PLATFORM REGULATION/COPYRIGHT] Canada is considering a proposal that would allow internet providers to block piracy websites (National Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/ COPYRIGHT] Droits d’auteur: quoi demander aux acteurs du numérique? (Le Devoir)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] CRTC ruling unlikely to shake up competition, prices, observers say (Globe & Mail via McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] CRTC cellphone ruling fails consumers, advocates say (Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] CRTC sides with Videotron in dispute with Bell over access to poles, other structures (Globe and Mail; McMaster; York)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Accès aux poteaux de Bell: le CRTC donne raison à Vidéotron (Journal de Montréal)
• [BROADCAST REGULATION] New rules proposed to bar authoritarian states from broadcasting human-rights violations in Canada (Globe and Mail; McMaster; York)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Legal challenge seeks to overturn ban on pot T-Shirts; Quebec (Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Ombudsman concerned about access to information bill (Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
• [BROADCAST GOVERNANCE] BYUtv deal exposes truth about queer representation (Globe and Mail; McMaster; York)
• [PATENT] Court rejects Google Canada’s appeal for delaying patent trial (Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
• [MEDIA GOVERNANCE/INTIMATE IMAGES] Pablo Rodriguez asks for investigation into leaked photo of Liberal MP William Amos (National Post)
• [MEDIA GOVERNANCE/INTIMATE IMAGES]Les médias devaient-ils diffuser la photo du député fédéral nu? (Le Devoir)
• [MEDIA GOVERNANCE] Une trentaine de personnalités dénoncent «le travail d’intimidation» de certains médias (Le Devoir)
• [EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS] Following last year’s mass shooting, Nova Scotia changes course on public emergency alerts (Globe and Mail)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION/PEROSNAL INFORMATION] City hiring consultant to review release of basketball team’s name to Spec (Hamilton Spectator; McMaster; York)
• [PUBLICATION BAN] She wanted to tell you about her sex assault. The court won’t let her (Toronto Star)
• [PRIVACY/DEFAMATION/FREEDOM OF SPEECH] PDSB apologizes for legal action against online critics – but what’s okay in the anonymous world of social media? (The Pointer; McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM COMPETITION] Shaw Communications second-quarter profit and revenue rose as it added new wireless customers (Globe and Mail; McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion: Stéphanie Grammond: Coupons le courant à la porno juvénile (La Presse)

International News

• [SURVEILLANCE] First Amendment groups ask Supreme Court for access to surveillance court opinions (Washington Post; Similar story in New York Times; McMaster; York)
• [MEDIA JURISPRUDCENCE] The Supreme Court’s Increasingly Dim View of the News Media (New York Times; McMaster; York)
• [SURVEILLANCE] Russia’s rush to ramp up surveillance state (Washington Post; McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] German regulator acts to halt ‘illegal’ WhatsApp data collection (Reuters; McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Social-Media Data Leaks Draw Scrutiny From European Regulators (Wall Street Journal; McMaster; York)
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION] Wyden urges ban on sale of Americans’ personal data to ‘unfriendly’ foreign governments (Washington Post; McMaster; York)
• [AI/Discrimination] EU urged to ban ‘discriminatory’ AI tools that detect gender or sexuality (Reuters; McMaster; York)
• [AI/SURVEILLANCE] EU wants to ban use of AI for surveillance (Reuters; McMaster; York)
• [PRESS FREEDOM] Beijing targets journalist in continuing crackdown on ‘anti-china propaganda (Globe and Mail; Behind paywall)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Top European court rules Turkish writer Altan’s rights were violated (Reuters; McMaster; York)
• [CHILDREN’S PRIVACY] Disney and ad-tech firms agree to privacy changes for children’s apps (New York Times; McMaster; York)
• [PATENT] Market leader faces test in patent wars (Bloomberg News; McMaster; York)
• [PATENT] U.S. judge tosses $506M damages award against Apple (Toronto Star; McMaster; York)
• [DEFAMATION] MyPillow Sues to Counter Dominion Voting Systems’ Defamation Claims (Wall Street Journal; McMaster; York)
• [CENSORSHIP/SURVEILLANCE] California lawsuit against Chinese tech giant raises a thorny question: Can the plaintiffs remain anonymous? (Washington Post; McMaster; York)
• [DEFAMATION] Venezuelan paper ordered to pay $13 million to official in defamation case (Reuters; McMaster; York)
• [BROADBAND REGULATION] Elon Musk’s Satellite Internet Project Is Too Risky, Rivals Say (Wall Street Journal; McMaster; York)
• [HATE SPEECH] Arkansas is finally set to pass a hate crimes law — but critics call it ‘hate crimes lite’ (The Washington Post; McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY/ANONYMIZING DATA] Historian says Census didn’t consult states on privacy tool (Associated Press News; McMaster; York)
• [AI/LEGAL TRANSLATION] Google translation AI botches legal terms ‘enjoin,’ ‘garnish’ -research (Reuters; McMaster; York)
• [AI/BANKING] U.S. banks deploy AI to monitor customers, workers amid tech backlash (Reuters; McMaster; York)
• [INTERNET FREEDOM] S.Korea looks to ban internet file-sharing with N.Korea (Reuters; McMaster; York)
• [CENSORSHIP/MISINFORMATION/SCIENTIFIC CONDUCT] Masks for Children, Muzzles for News (Wall Street Journal; McMaster; York)

(April 13-19^th, 2021)

Department of Finance Canada

• Budget 2021: Address by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance 
• Budget 2021 Supporting Tourism Hospitality, Arts and Culture
• Budget 2021: Building an Innovation Economy of the Future
• Budget 2021: Supporting Women

Canadian Heritage

• The Government of Canada Launches Consultation on a Modern Copyright Framework for Online Intermediaries

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Decision on mobile wireless services
• CRTC puts measures in place to spur more mobile wireless competition for Canadians

Democratic Institutions

• Multi-Stakeholder Insights: A Compendium on Countering Election Interference
• Minister LeBlanc and Principle 3 co-leads issue Multi-Stakeholder Insights: A Compendium on Countering Election Interference 

Elections Canada

• Retrospective Report on the 43rd General Election of October 21, 2019

 Global Affairs

• Media Freedom Coalition statement concerning media freedom in Myanmar
• Statement on SolarWinds Cyber Compromise

 Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Investment of nearly $87 million to provide high-speed Internet access to over 10,640 households in the Outaouais region by September 2022
• Statement from Minister Champagne regarding the CRTC Wireless Framework decision
• Minister Vandal to announce support for high-speed Internet in the Northwest Territories
• $45-million investment to provide high-speed Internet access to over 8,000 households in the Chaudière-Appalaches region by September 2022

US Department of Justice

• Readout of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Call with the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

 Copyright Board

• SOCAN Tariff 14 — Performance of an Individual Work (2018-2024)

 Microsoft

• Microsoft releases biannual digital trust report

Twitter

• Introducing our Responsible Machine Learning Initiative

CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom order 2021-138
  [2021-04-16 11:00:00]
  Streamlined Order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Altima Solutions Limited TN 1 and TN 1A, Bell Canada TN 7630, Groupe Maskatel LP TN 83, Télébec, Société en commandite TN 518
• Telecom order 2021-137
  [2021-04-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Acceptance of statement of work for Northwestel Inc.’s Yukon fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0191
• Telecom order 2021-136
  [2021-04-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Acceptance of statement of work for Northwestel Inc.’s Northwest Territories fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0191
• Telecom order 2021-135
  [2021-04-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Acceptance of statement of work for Northwestel Inc.’s Northwest Territories fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0191
• Telecom order 2021-134
  [2021-04-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Acceptance of statement of work for Northwestel Inc.’s Northwest Territories satellite project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0191
• Telecom order 2021-133
  [2021-04-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Acceptance of statement of work for Broadband Communications North Inc.’s Manitoba satellite project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0191
• Telecom notice of consultation 2021-132
  [2021-04-16 11:00:00]
  Call for comments – Imposition of an administrative monetary penalty on Bell Canada in relation to the processing and granting of access permit applications for support structures in accordance with its National Services Tariff – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0132
• Telecom decision 2021-131
  [2021-04-16 11:00:00]
  Videotron Ltd. – Application concerning the issuance of orders related to the processing and granting by Bell Canada of access permit applications for support structures – Public record: 8660-Q15-202003614
• Telecom regulatory policy 2021-130
  [2021-04-15 16:00:00]
  Review of mobile wireless services – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0057
• Telecom decision 2021-129
  [2021-04-15 16:00:00]
  Bell Mobility Inc. – Request to strike the Commissioner of Competition’s expert report from the record of the proceeding initiated by Telecom Notice of Consultation 2019-57, and related procedural matters – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0057

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that judgment in the following leave applications will be delivered at 9:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday, April 22, 2021. This list is subject to change.
• [FREEDOM OF SPEECH/CHILD PORNOGRAPHY] Procureur général du Québec c. Yvan Godbout (Qc) (Criminelle) (Autorisation) (39453)
• [COPYRIGHT] Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada, et al. v. Entertainment Software Association, et al. (F.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39418)

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Tuesday, April 20^th, 2021 – Friday, April 23^rd, 2021
• OPINION: Focusing on Ethical AI Will Unlock Social And Economic Opportunity: Senator Colin Deacon

Upcoming Committee Meetings

• Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Bill S-203, an Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material (April 21, 2021)

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Monday, April 19-23rd^h, 2021

     Government Bills

• Bill C-11: Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2020 – Second reading

     Upcoming Committee Meetings

• [CHPC] (April 19, 2021) Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts
• [ETHI] (April 19, 2021) Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics:Protection of Privacy and Reputation on Platforms such as Pornhub
• [CACN] (April 19, 2021) Special Committee on Canada-China Relations

CRTC

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of April 19^th-23^rd, 2021
The CRTC plans to issue no decision and/or regulatory policy in the coming week. This list may be incomplete and is subject to change without notice.

         Regulatory Policies
         Broadcasting
2021-3 – Revised list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution – Annual compilation of amendments

Public Hearings

• To consider the broadcasting application listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2021-114 et 2021-114-1 – View hearing documents (2021-114)

Open Public Consultations:

• • Employment and Social Development: Mandate Commitments on the Right to Disconnect and Gig Workers (March 18 – April 30, 2021)
  • 2021-9 – Call for comments – Development of a network-level blocking framework to limit botnet traffic and strengthen Canadians’ online safety – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0009 (May 5, 2021)
  • Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: 2019-217 Co-development of a new Indigenous Broadcasting Policy
  • Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: Video Relay Service Review(March 11- May 9, 2021)
  • 2021-132 – Call for comments – Imposition of an administrative monetary penalty on Bell Canada in relation to the processing and granting of access permit applications for support structures in accordance with its National Services Tariff – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0132 (May 17, 2021)
  • Canadian Heritage: Consultation on a Modern Copyright Framework for Online Intermediaries (May 31, 2021)
  • Access to Information Review Public Engagement: Reviewing access to information – https://atiareview.ca (March 31, 2021-July 31, 2021)