Newsletter: June 22, 2021

Weekly News (June 22nd, 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 15-21, 2021)

Canadian News

• [PRIVACY/CYBERSECURITY] Spy agency may have broken privacy laws, watchdog says (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY/CYBERSECURITY] Le CST pourrait avoir enfreint la loi en divulguant des renseignements (La Presse)
• [DEFAMATION] Maxime Bernier’s defamation lawsuit should be tossed, lawyer for pundit Warren Kinsella says (National Post) (McMaster; York)
• [BROADCAST POLICY] Skeptical senators could derail contentious Bill C-10; Fast track ‘insult’ (National Post) (McMaster; York)
• [PATENT/COVID VACCINE] Trudeau says no ‘silver bullet’ to vaccinate world amid debate on patent rules (Toronto Sun) (McMaster; York)
• [ONLINE HARM/PLATFORM REGULATION] Platforms like Pornhub fail to protect people’s privacy and reputation, says report (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Des parlementaires à Ottawa veulent serrer la vis aux sites pornos (Le Devoir)
• [ELECTIONS COMMUNICATIONS] Liberal MPs’ budgets pay same firms that help run party’s digital campaigns (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Le lien privilégié de Bell avec le CRTC fait grincer des dents (Le Devoir)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] La délocalisation à l’étranger d’emplois dans les télécoms dénoncée (La Presse)
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] CBC sets new diversity requirements for independently produced programs (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Navneet Alang: Why the publicly funded CBC has turned off public commenting on its Facebook page. . . and why this is a good idea (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Pause de commentaires salvatrice ou sacrilège? (Le Devoir)
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] L’ombudsman de ​Radio-Canada plaide pour la fin des commentaires sur le site Web (Le Devoir)
• [MUSIC/CULTURAL POLICY:QUEBEC] Les organismes publics appelés à diffuser exclusivement de la musique d’ici (Le Devoir)
• [PRIVACY/NATIONAL SECURITY] Health agency head in ‘extraordinary situation’ after opposition motion puts him in contempt of Parliament (National Post) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY/POLICING] Iqaluit police body camera pilot project wraps; concerns remain over accountability (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [E-GOVERNMENT/HEALTH DATA] Canada’s data gaps hampered COVID-19 pandemic response, hurting vaccination tracking: report (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [ANTI-SLAPP] Anti-SLAPP laws help keep frivolous lawsuits out of the courts, but not every province has them (National Post) (McMaster; York)
• [SECURITY BREACH/HEALTH DATA] Cyberattack leads to computer system failure at Humber River Hospital, impacting patient care (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)

International News

• [PATENT BOARD] High court: Congress erred in patent dispute board setup (Miami Herald) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Court tests limits of EU data rules (Bloomberg News; Similar Article via Associate Press News) (McMaster; York)
• [TRADEMARK] Washington Football Team trademark request refused, creating a potential legal hurdle (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Apple settles lawsuit after iPhone techs posted woman’s explicit photos on Facebook, report says (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Irish civil rights group to file privacy lawsuit over online ads (Reuters)
• [PRIVACY] EU privacy watchdogs call for ban on facial recognition in public spaces(Reuters)
• [CENSORSHIP/JOURNALISM] Hong Kong Police Arrest Apple Daily Editor Under China National Security Law (Wall Street Journal; Related article via Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [CENSORSHIP/HUMAN RIGHTS] EU assessing whether Hungarian anti-LGBT law breaches bloc’s laws (Reuters; Related article via Reuters)
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION] Lawmakers Re-Introduce Bill That Would Ban Facial-Recognition Technology (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York)
• [GENETIC DATA/POLICING] OPINION: Suter, Murphy & Ram: Maryland is a model for regulating police use of genetic databases (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM REGULATION/US-CHINA RELATIONS] The F.C.C. proposes further restrictions on Chinese telecom equipment. (New York Times) (McMaster; York)
• [TECH POLICY/US-CHINA RELATIONS] China Isn’t the Issue. Big Tech Is. (New York Times) (McMaster; York)
• [US-CHINA RELATIONS/NATIONAL SECURITY] Chinese scientists ensnared in U.S. visa fraud legal battle (Reuters)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/AUTHORITY] India says Twitter knowingly not complying with local laws Sheikh Saaliq (Seattle Times) (McMaster; York)
• [CENSORSHIP/US-CHINA RELATIONS] OPINION: Wolfowitz & Drexel: Xi’s Rewriting of History Won’t Stay in China (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Apple’s Cook says proposed EU tech rules threaten security of iPhones(Reuters)
• [AI/IDENTIFICATION] Facebook, Michigan State Develop Deepfake Detection Technique (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York)

(June 15-21, 2021)

Federal Court of Canada

• [PATENT] ViiV Healthcare Company v. Gilead Sciences Canada, Inc. – 2021 FCA 122 – 2021-06-16
• [TRADEMARK] H-D U.S.A., LLC v. Varzari – 2021 FC 620 – 2021-06-17

US Supreme Court

• [PATENT] UNITED STATES v. ARTHREX, INC. – No. 19-1434 argued date: March 1, 2021 (June 21, 2021)

Senate of Canada

      Bills on Agenda

• S-203: An Act to restrict young persons’ online access to sexually explicit material – Committee Report Presented with Amendments in Senate  (June 15, 2021)

Canadian House of Commons

      Reports:

• [VACCINE WAIVER] – Standing Committee on International Trade (CIIT): REFORM OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION: SOME CANADIAN VIEWS AND PRIORITIES (June 18, 2021)

Parliamentary Business

• [BROADCAST POLICY] Government Business No. 10 (amendment): Proceedings on a bill entitled An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (Monday, June 21, 2021)

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development

• Government of Canada announcing support to advance Canadian AI technologies

Microsoft

• An update on our effort to help preserve and protect journalism

CRTC

News Releases:

• Broadcasting decision 2021-209
  [2021-06-18 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – CKRT-TV ltée – Various locations in Quebec – Application to revoke the broadcasting licence issued to CKRT-TV ltée for CKRT-DT Rivière-du-Loup and its transmitters effective 31 August 2021
• Broadcasting decision 2021-208
  [2021-06-18 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – CKRT-TV ltée – Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec – Application to amend the broadcasting licence for the French-language conventional television station CKRT-DT Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, and its transmitters in order to obtain temporary relief from its condition of licence relating to local programming during the broadcast of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
• Telecom order 2021-207
  [2021-06-17 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc. TN 1125
• Broadcasting decision 2021-206
  [2021-06-17 11:00:00]
  DENIED – Amherstburg Broadcasting Corporation – Amherstburg, Ontario – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate a low-power, English-language commercial FM radio station in Amherstburg
• Compliance and Enforcement decision 2021-205
  [2021-06-16 11:00:00]
  2590054 Ontario Inc., operating as Top Tier Moving and Storage – Violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules – File number: PDR 9174-2835
• Broadcasting decision 2021-204
  [2021-06-16 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Various locations across Canada – Application for temporary relief from conditions of licence relating to the provision of weekly local programming and described video requirements for the English- and French-language conventional television stations listed in the decision
• Broadcasting decision 2021-203
  [2021-06-15 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Canadian Association of Broadcasters – Across Canada – Application to increase the maximum percentage of proceeds from the Independent Local News Fund that can be allocated to any one station or group of stations operated by the same licensee in a given market

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, June 24, 2021. This list is subject to change.
• [TELECOM REGULATION/TERMINATION CLAUSES] Télébec, société en commandite c. 9238-0831 Québec inc. faisant affaires sous le nom de Caféier-Boustifo (Qc) (Civile) (Autorisation) (39579)
• [TELECOM REGULATION/TERMINATION CLAUSES] Éric Masson, et al. c. Telus Mobilité, et al. (Qc) (Civile) (Autorisation) (39562)

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Monday, June 21^st – Wednesday, June 23^rd, 2021 & Friday, June 25th, 2021.

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week, with possible extension of sitting hours (June 21-23): Monday, June 21^th – Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Upcoming Committee Meetings:

• [CHPC] (June 21) – Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Educational Publishing in Canada
• [ETHI] (June 21) – Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics: Certificate of Nomination of Daniel Therrien to the Position of Privacy Commissioner
• [CACN] (June 21) – Special Committee on Canada-China Relations

CRTC

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of June 21 to 25, 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:

• Local Radio Lab Inc.
  Alliston, Milton and Orangeville, Ontario
  CIMA-FM Alliston, CJML-FM Milton and CKMO-FM Orangeville – Acquisition of assets
  Public record: 2020-0880-5

 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)