Newsletter: May 4, 2021

Weekly News (May 4^th, 2021)

Compiled by Fizza Kulvi and Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(April 27 – May 3, 2021)

Canadian News

• [BRADCASTING POLICY Liberals shut down debate on Bill C-10 amendment (National Post)
• [BROADCASTING POLICY] NDP, Bloc side with government amid controversy over Broadcasting Act changes (Globe and Mail)
• [BROADCASTING POLICY] OPINION: Sparrow: Sovereign nations tell their own stories. The Broadcasting Act must prioritize Canadian creators and culture (The Star)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Nalbandian: Canada should be transparent in how it uses AI to screen immigrants (The Conversation)
• [TELECOM POLICY] OPINION: Editorial Board: When it comes to cellphone competition, the CRTC tells Canadians: Please hold (Globe and Mail)
• [TELECOM POLICY] BCE tops profit as broadband network expansion and consumers buy new phones (Globe and Mail)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Hrick, Khoo & Kim: Protecting against online gender-based violence and harassment (The Star)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Teacher unions challenge new Ontario bill on election advertising(The Star)
• [DATA PROTECTION] Ontario to launch long-awaited data oversight body in new digital drive(Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY]Le Fléau des Caméras-Espionnes (LaPresse)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Netflix chooses Toronto for its Canadian corporate headquarters(The Star)
• [DEFAMATION] Un Québécois poursuit TikTok et une influenceuse pour 1M$ (Journal de Montréal)
• [PRIVACY] Les données de milliers de Québécois au Tribunal administratif du logement laissées sans protection (Le Devoir) 
• [DATA PROTECTION] Human error at heart of 2020 provincial data breach (Winnipeg Free Press)
• [PRIVACY] Veteran Calgary Police Service sergeant charged under Alberta’s privacy law (The Star)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Droit d’auteur; Des Montréalais contre Iron Man (LaPresse)

International News

• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook’s Oversight Board has decided the fate of Trump’s account. Here’s everything you need to know. (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Internet Privacy Legislation Dies in Florida (WSJ)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] The Technology 202: Uber, Lyft and Doordash stocks plunged as labor secretary signals hard line on gig work (Washington Post)
• [INTERNET ACCESS] President Biden taps Kamala Harris to lead effort to close digital divide(CNET)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Breaking Point: How Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook Became Foes(NYT)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Opinion: Editorial Board: The United States can’t let other countries write AI policy for it (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Bensinger: Stopping the Manipulation Machines (NYT)
• [PRESS FREEDOM] OPINION: Ressa & Posetti: Women journalists face escalating violence online. We should know. (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] China Steps Up Oversight of Tech (WSJ)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] As Outbreak Rages, India Orders Critical Social Media Posts to Be Taken Down (NYT)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] North Korea’s Kim Il Sung Has a Memoir. South Koreans Aren’t Allowed to Buy It. (WSJ)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Cuban government ends leading dissident’s hunger strike(Reuters)
• [PRESS FREEDOM] OPINION: Editorial Board: Morocco’s jailed journalists deserve the Biden administration’s attention (Washington Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Linfield University Fires Professor Who Spoke Out About Misconduct Cases (NYT)

(April 27 – May 3, 2021)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development

• $38M to provide high-speed Internet access to more than 2,850 households in the Granit RCM by September 2022

Microsoft

• Building on a year of open data: progress and promise

Amazon

• The Walt Disney Company Uses AWS to Support the Global Expansion of Disney+

CRTC

News Releases:

• • Broadcasting Decision CRTC  2021-153
    [2021-05-03 11:00:00]
    APPROVED – Maritime Broadcasting System Limited – Digby, Nova Scotia – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio station in Digby to replace the English-language commercial AM radio station CKDY Digby
  • Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2021-142
    [2021-04-28 11:00:00]
    APPROVED – International Harvesters for Christ Evangelistic Association Inc. – Scarborough, Ontario – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language specialty (Christian music) FM radio station in Scarborough
  • Compliance and Enforcement and Telecom Decision CRTC 2021-141
    [2021-04-27 11:00:00]
    Bell Canada – Procedural and confidentiality ruling on application by Bell Canada and its affiliates to permanently block certain fraudulent and scam voice calls – Public record: 8638-B2-202006345

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Tuesday, May 4^th – Friday, May 7^th

 Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Monday, May 3^rd – Friday May 7^th
• Upcoming Meetings:
  [CHPC] (May 6^th) Bill C-10, An Act to Amend the Broadcasting Act

[CHPC] (May 7^th) 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 3 to 7 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.

Broadcasting Decisions:

Decision relating to the following application considered by the Commission at the 3 December 2020 public hearing:

• • • Maritime Broadcasting System Limited
      Digby, Nova Scotia
      CKDY Digby – Conversion to the FM band
      Public record: 2020-0175-9

Decisions relating to the following applications considered under the Commission’s Part 1 process:

• Fairchild Radio (Vancouver FM) Ltd.
  Vancouver, British Columbia
  CHKG-FM Vancouver – Technical changes
  Public record: 2021-0086-6
• Shaw Cablesystems Limited
  Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
  Terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertaking serving Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario – Revocation of licence
  Public record: 2021-0190-6

Telecom Decisions:

• Fibernetics Corporation – Application for relief regarding unjustifiable conduct relating to local network interconnection between the company and Bell Canada
  Public record: 8643-F27-202004183
• Forbearance from the regulation of high-capacity / digital data services interexchange private line services on certain additional routes
  Public record: 8638-S1-01/98
• Iristel Inc. – Application for the Commission to order Rogers Communications Canada Inc. to refrain from manipulating caller location identification information
  Public record: 8622-J64-202004662

Open Public Consultations:  

• Responsible use of AI: https://www.canada.ca/en/government/system/digital-government/digital-government-innovations/responsible-use-ai.html
• Consultation on Amending CPC-2-0-03 – Radiocommunication and Broadcasting Antenna Systems (May 17, 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)