Newsletter: June 15, 2021

Weekly News (June 15th, 2021)

Compiled by Emmanuel Appiah, Meaghan Wester, and Nick Gertlerwith 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.

(June 8-14, 2021) 

Canadian News  

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/COURT SEALS] Supreme Court unseals Sherman estate files (National Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY] Reconnaissance faciale; Les pratiques de la GRC comportent des «lacunes graves et systémiques » (La Presse) 
• [PRIVACY] Mounties’ use of AI broke privacy law (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York) 
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION] Canadian Regulators Seek Policy Amendments for Facial Recognition (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Slipshod practices might mean gaps in Canada’s COVID-19 record, info watchdog says(Toronto Star) (McMaster; York) 
• [BROADCASTING POLICY] Loi sur la radiodiffusion; L’étude est terminée au comité du Patrimoine canadien (La Presse) 
• [BROADCASTING POLICY] Liberals move to force vote on budget; Limit on debate(Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York) 
• [BROADCASTING POLICY/CULTURAL FUNDING] Bâillon adopté aux Communes pour tenter de sauver C-10 (Le Devoir) 
• [TELECOM REGULATION/COMPETITION] 5G spectrum auction this week will go on without Freedom (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York) 
• [TELECOM REGULATION] Loopholes in Ottawa’s wireless policy let companies ‘flip’ spectrum, increasing prices and wasting a valuable resource, critics say (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York) 
• [MEDIA GOVERNANCE/ PRIVACY] Une loi pour la transformation numérique; Le ministre Éric Caire pourra entamer un vrai virage de l’État pour arriver au 21e siècle(Journal de Québec) 
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Canada releases redacted versions of COVID-19 vaccine contracts (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York) 
• [TELECOM REGULATION] Is the CRTC getting too cosy with big telecom?  (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York) 
• [CYBERSECURITY/PRIVACY ]Informatique: des dizaines d’organismes touchés après l’attaque; Des bibliothèques, des villes et même la Défense nationale du pays sont touchées (Journal de Montréal) 
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION/PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Jamie Irving: Lettre ouverte à Justin Trudeau;L’inaction d’Ottawa met en danger les médias d’information (La Presse) 

International News 

• [ANTITRUST] Two Republican U.S. senators introduce antitrust bill (Reuters) (McMaster; York) 
•  [INTERNET REGULATION] Bipartisan group of senators introduces $40 billion bill to close the digital divide (Washington Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [TECH REGULATION] Biden taps big tech critic Lina Khan to chair the Federal Trade Commission (Washington Post) (McMaster; York) 
•  [PRIVACY] European Privacy Ruling Could Mean More Scrutiny of Companies (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [TECH POLICY] House Panel Approves China Scientific Competitiveness Bill (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York)  
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION/NATIONAL SECURITY] Biden rescinds Trump executive orders banning TikTok and WeChat (Washington Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [COPYRIGHT] Copyright holder settles lawsuit with LOVE artist’s estate (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York) 
• [TRADEMARK] Greenpeace wins trademark case (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York) 
•  [PLATFORM REGULATION] Rishi Sunak’s billionaire in-laws hit with £5.5m bill in Amazon India tax dispute (The Guardian) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY] EU Commission starts legal action against Belgium over privacy watchdog (Reuters) (McMaster; York) 
•  [COPYRIGHT] Right to repair: it should be easier for Australians to get phones and devices fixed, review says (The Guardian) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY] Amazon Faces Fine Over Privacy (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION] Ikea fined $1.3 million over spying campaign in France(Associated Press News) (McMaster; York) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Hungary passes law banning LGBTQ content for minors (Washington Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [PATENT] Germany Shuts Door on Patent Trolls (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] UK report says Hong Kong security law used to ‘drastically curtail freedoms’ (Reuters) (McMaster; York) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/JOURNALISM] European ministers vow to protect reporters, free expression (Associated Press via ABC News) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY/ ADVERTISING/TRACKING] Google Proposes U.K. Oversight Role in Retirement of Web Cookies (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [SURVEILLANCE/INVESTIGATIONS] The FBI Secretly Ran the Anom Messaging Platform, Yielding Hundreds of Arrests in Global Sting (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION/DATA BREACH] Alibaba Falls Victim to Chinese Web Crawler in Large Data Leak (The Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY] Apple’s Moves to Tighten Flow of User Data Leave Advertisers Anxious;(Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [SLANDER/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Google Takes Steps to Break The Cycle of Online Slander (New York Times) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] OPINION: Greg Bensinger: Google’s Privacy Backpedal Shows Why It’s So Hard Not to Be Evil (New York Times) (McMaster; York) 
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION/FEDEAL INVESTIGATION] Trump’s Justice Dept. Obtained Apple Data on His Chief Counsel (New York Times) (McMaster; York) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] China’s Censorship Widens to Hong Kong’s Vaunted Film Industry, With Global Implications (New York Times) (McMaster; York) 

(June 8-14, 2021) 

Supreme Court of Canada 

• The Supreme Court of Canada has today deposited with the Registrar judgments in the following leave applications.
  • [COURT SEAL/JOURNALISM] Sherman Estate v. Donovan – 2021 SCC 25 – 2021-06-11 

Federal Court of Appeal 

• [PATENT] Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. v. Taro Pharmaceuticals Inc. – 2021 FCA 113 – 2021-06-09 

Federal Court of Canada 

• [TRADEMARK] Sadhu Singh Hamdard Trust v. Navsun Holdings Ltd. – 2021 FC 602 – 2021-06-11 
• [TRADEMARK] Subway IP LLC v. Budway, Cannabis & Wellness Store – 2021 FC 583 – 2021-06-10 

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development 

• Technical briefing on upcoming 3500 MHz spectrum auction 

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada 

• Release of the Privacy Commissioner’s Special Report to Parliament on Police Use of Facial Recognition Technology in Canada (Media Release) 
• RCMP’s use of Clearview AI’s facial recognition technology violated Privacy Act, investigation concludes (News Release) 
• Statement by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada following an investigation into the RCMP’s use of Clearview AI 
• Canadians concerned about access to their online personal information: poll 
• The future of privacy law reform in Canada (Speech) 
• Special Report to Parliament – Commissioner’s Findings: Privacy Act – Police use of Facial Recognition Technology in Canada and the way forward (Special Report) 

Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada 

• 2020–21 Annual Report: The pandemic has exacerbated deficiencies of the access to information system 

Microsoft 

• Our annual report: ‘Racial Equity Initiative: Strengthening Our Communities’ 

CRTC 

News Releases: 

• Compliance and Enforcement order 2021-202
  [2021-06-14 11:00:00]
  Unsolicited Telecommunications Fees – Telemarketing regulatory costs for 2021-22 and fees paid for 2020-21 
• Telecom order 2021-201
  [2021-06-14 11:00:00]
  Telecommunications Fees 
• Broadcasting decision 2021-200
  [2021-06-14 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Mohawk Multi Media – Kanesatake/Oka, Quebec – Application for a new broadcasting licence to operate an English- and Kanien’ké:ha (Mohawk) language Indigenous radio station in Kanesatake/Oka 
• Telecom decision 2021-199
  [2021-06-14 11:00:00]
  Establishment of new deadlines for Canada’s transition to next-generation 9-¬1¬-1 – Public record: 1011-NOC2020-0326 
• Telecom order 2021-198
  [2021-06-09 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc. TN 1124 

Senate of Canada 

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Tuesday, June 15^th – Friday, June 18^th, 2021.
  Upcoming Committee Meetings: 

• • [TRCM] (June 16, 2021) – Standing Committee on Transport and Communications: Bill S-203, An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material(June 9, 2021) 

Canadian House of Commons 

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week, with possible extension of sitting hours (June 10-11): Monday, June 14^th – Friday, June 18, 2021 

Upcoming Committee Meetings:  

• [INDU] (June 15) – Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology: Accessibility and Affordability of Telecommunications Services 
• [INDU] (June 17) – Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology: BILL C-272 An Act to Amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance or repair) 

CRTC  

Open Proceedings 

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings 
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of June 14 to 18, 2021 
The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the coming week. This is subject to change without notice.

Broadcasting Decisions: 

• Amherstburg Broadcasting Corporation
  Amherstburg, Ontario
  Low-power commercial FM radio station in Amherstburg
  Public record: 2020-0369-8 
• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
  Various locations across Canada
  Various English- and French-language conventional television stations – Licence amendments related to coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
  Public record: 2021-0142-6 
• Canadian Association of Broadcasters
  Across Canada
  The Independent Local News Fund – Revision to the allocation method
  Public record: 2020-0492-7 
• Mohawk Multi Media
  Kanesatake/Oka, Quebec
  Indigenous FM radio station in Kanesatake
  Public record: 2020-0420-9 

Telecom Decision: 

• Establishment of new deadlines for Canada’s transition to next-generation 9-1-1: Public record: 1011-NOC2020-0326 

 Public Hearings 

• To consider the broadcasting application listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2021-165 and 2021-165-1
  View hearing documents (2021-165)  (July 8, 2021) 

Open Public Consultations:  

• Access to Information Review Public Engagement: Reviewing access to information –https://atiareview.ca (March 31, 2021-July 31, 2021) 
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommuncations Commission: Video Relay Service Review (July 5, 2021) 
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: Call for comments – Introduction of a three-digit abbreviated dialing code for mental health crisis and suicide prevention services (June 3- Sept 1, 2021) 
• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat: Reviewing access to information (March 31 – July 31, 2021)