Newsletter: May 26, 2021

Weekly News (May 26th, 2021)

Compiled by Fizza Kulvi and Emmanuel Appiah with Sara Bannerman, Fenwick McKelvey, Guillaume Dandurand, Marek Blottière, and Kevin Morin

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

The Communications Governance Discussion Group meets every few weeks by Zoom.  Email organizer Derek Hrynyshyn <derekh@yorku.ca> for details.

(May 18 – May 25, 2021)

Canadian News

• [BROADCAST REGULATION] Heritage committee votes in favour of proposed opposition amendment to controversial Bill C-10 (National Post)
• [BROADCASTING REGULATION] Justice minister refuses to give opinion on Bill C-10’s potential to undermine rights (Toronto Star)
• [BROADCAST REGULATION/USER CONTENT] Ottawa’s attempts to promote Canadian content online could have the opposite effect, YouTube creators fear (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [INTERNET/TELECOM REGULATION] CRTC chair says it’s hard to sustain low wireless, internet prices in long term (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] Telus files appeal of CRTC’s wireless reselling decision (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Opinion: Péladeau: Renouveler la politique fédérale du quatrième joueur sans fil (Le Devoir)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Québecor n’aura pas la vie facile dans le sans-fil canadien (Le Devoir)
• [PRIVACY] Canada’s privacy bill inadequate to fix entrenched issues, critics say (Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/NEWS CONTENT] Social media news bill fades to background (Winnipeg Free Press) (McMaster; York)
• [INTERNET REGULATION] Ottawa to triple spectrum for WiFi use (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/NEWS CONTENT] Facebook to pay 14 Cdn publishers for some news content posted to its platform (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [CULTURAL FUNDING/PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook s’entend avec Le Devoir et CN2i (La Presse) [PUBLICATION BAN/SEXUAL VIOLENCE] Judge overturns $2,000 fine on Ontario sex assault victim for breaching publication ban on her own identity (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Information watchdog investigates handling of archival spy files amid chronic delays (Canadian Press via CTV News) (McMaster; York)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] No oversight to ensure federal records published; Information (Canadian Press via Yahoo News) (Master; York)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Watchdog says immigration applicants need easier access to info on their files (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Alberta calls for national security rules for academics to prevent intellectual property transfer to China (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM REGULATION/COMPETITION] Vast majority of Shaw shareholders vote in favour of takeover by Rogers (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [SURVEILLANCE/HEALTH DATA] Big Data company Palantir looks at expansion into Canada’s health care sector (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Tiny House Warriors’ trial begins in Kamloops (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [COPYRIGHT] La radio satellite américaine à la rescousse des musiciens d’ici (Le Devoir)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Could Canada fend off a Colonial Pipeline-like attack? (Financial Post) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Sue Gardner: The crackdown on ‘Big Tech’ targets symptoms rather than the disease itself (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY/VACCINE PASSPORTS] OPINION: Kristnamurthy & Flood: We need vaccine passports, but how should they be designed? (Welland Tribune) (McMaster; York)

International News

• [SURVEILLANCE/PRIVACY] Court: UK mass surveillance unlawful under European rules(Associated Press News) (McMaster; York)
• [INTERNET REGULATION] Frontier lied about internet speed, FTC says in post-net neutrality case (Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [DEFAMATION/JOURNALISM] Fox News files a motion to dismiss Dominion’s defamation suit over 2020 election coverage. (New York Times) (McMaster; York)
• [PATENT/VACCINE] Labour says UK must ‘get off the fence’ over global Covid vaccine access (The Guardian) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Florida governor signs bill barring social media companies from blocking political candidates (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [ANTITRUST] German antitrust watchdog investigates Google over data use (Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Russia gives Google 24 hours to delete banned content (Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [ANTICOMPETITION] Epic Games, Apple Close Out Final Day of Courtroom Battle Over Monopoly Claims (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Shoshana Zuboff Explains Why You Should Care About Privacy (New York Times) (McMaster; York)
• [TECH POLICY] OPINION: Industrial Policy, Same Old Politics (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York)
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION] China authorities name 105 apps for improper data practices (Associated Press via CTV News) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Indian Police Visit Twitter’s Office After Politician’s Tweet Is Labeled as Misleading (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York)
• [SURVEILLANCE] How Myanmar’s military moved in on the telecoms sector to spy on citizens (Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [DEFAMATION/JOURNALISM] OPINION: Erik Wemple: Fox News seeks refuge in bothsidesism (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Africans find it hard to learn what their governments are up to. It’s no surprise many suspect corruption. (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] ‘Privacy by design’: Google to give people more power over their personal data (The Guardian) (McMaster; York)
• [AI BIAS] Twitter drops automated image-cropping tool after determining it was biased (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION/POLICING] Amazon extends moratorium on police use of facial recognition software (Reuters)
• [PRIVACY/HEALTH INFO] Explaining HIPAA: No, it doesn’t ban questions about your vaccination status (Seattle Times) (McMaster; York)
• [CENSORSHIP/JOURNALISM] Ethiopia Expels a Times Journalist (New York Times) (McMaster; York)

(May 18 – May 25, 2021)

Canadian Heritage

• Culture and Heritage Priorities Discussed at Annual Meeting of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers Responsible for Culture and Heritage

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada to make more spectrum available to support high-quality wireless services
• Government of Canada announces decision to triple spectrum available for Wi-Fi, bringing faster Internet to Canadians
• Minister Chagger to announce high-speed Internet investment in southwestern Ontario

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada has today deposited with the Registrar judgments in the following leave applications.

• [Intellectual Property] Nova Chemicals Corporation v. Dow Chemical Company, Dow Global Technologies Inc. and Dow Chemical Canada ULC (F.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39439) (Granted)
• Appeal heard: [Intellectual Property/Copyright] (May 21) York University, et al. v. Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (“Access Copyright”), et al. (Federal Court) (Civil) (By Leave) (39222)

Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

• Information Commissioner urges Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to challenge the status quo in its handling of access to information requests

Office of the Privacy Commissioner

• Privacy and COVID-19 Vaccine Passports
• Vaccine passports must meet highest level of privacy protection
• Education software firm addresses security vulnerabilities

Copyright Board of Canada

• SOCAN Tariffs 12.A − Theme Parks, Ontario Place Corporation and Similar Operations & 12.B − Paramount Canada’s Wonderland Inc. and Similar Operations (2018-2022) (May 21, 2021)

Microsoft

• Progress in Olympia for all Washingtonians

Google

• Technology can strengthen the U.S.-Korea alliance

CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom notice of consultation 2020-178-4
  [2021-05-21 11:00:00]
  Call for comments – Accessibility – Mobile wireless service plans that meet the needs of Canadians with various disabilities – Changes to procedure – Suspension of deadlines until further notice
• Telecom order 2021-180
  [2021-05-20 11:00:00]
  Mandatory order – William Robert John McQuaid, operating as MySignal.ca Solutions Inc. – Failure to become a participant in the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services Inc. – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0363 – William Robert John McQuaid is ordered, pursuant to section 51 of the Telecommunications Act, to comply with this order within 60 days of its publication
• Telecom decision 2021-179
  [2021-05-20 11:00:00]
  William Robert John McQuaid, operating as MySignal.ca Solutions Inc. – Failure to become a participant in the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services Inc. – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0363
• Telecom order 2021-178
  [2021-05-19 11:00:00]
  Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of l’Union des consommateurs in the proceeding that led to Telecom Decision 2021-177 – File numbers: 8662-X9-201911339 and 4754-630
• Telecom decision 2021-177
  [2021-05-19 11:00:00]
  Xplornet Communications Inc. – Application to review and vary Telecom Regulatory Policy 2019-269 regarding disconnection – Public record: 8662-X9-201911339
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2021-165-1
  [2021-05-18 11:00:00]
  Notice of hearing – 8 July 2021 – Gatineau, Quebec – Amendment to item 2
• Broadcasting decision 2021-176
  [2021-05-18 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Ottawa and Belleville, Ontario – Application to change the authorized contours of CBO-FM-1 Belleville, a rebroadcasting transmitter of the English-language radio station CBO-FM Ottawa

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Tuesday, May 25 – Friday, May 28, 2021.

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Tuesday, May 25 – Friday, May 28, 2021.

Upcoming Committee Meetings:

• [INDU] (May 25) – Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology: Accessibility and Affordability of Telecommunications Services
• [ETHI] (May 28) – Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics: Committee Business
• [CHPC] (May 28) – Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act

CRTC

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of May 25 to 28 2021

The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the coming week. This list may be incomplete and is subject to change without notice.

Telecom Decisions:

• Requests to review and vary Telecom Order 2019-288 regarding final rates for aggregated wholesale high-speed access services
  Public record: 8662-C12-201912502

 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) (May 27, 2021)
• To consider the broadcasting application listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2021-165 and 2021-165-1
  View hearing documents (2021-165)  (July 18, 2021)

Open Public Consultations:

• 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)
• Responsible use of AI: https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/digital-government-innovations/responsible-use-ai.html
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: 2019-217 Co-development of a new Indigenous Broadcasting Policy