Newsletter: July 13, 2021

Weekly News (July 13th, 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

(July 6 – July 12, 2021)  

Canadian News  

• [PRIVACY] Privacy law applies to Google results (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York) 
• [ELECTIONS/DATA ANALYTICS] Liberal caucus office paid U.S. firm $1-million with taxpayer money (Globe and Mail) 
• [HEALTH DATA/VACCINE PASSPORT] Alberta premier says province will not bring in vaccine passports (National Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY/NATIONAL SECURITY] Ottawa imposes national-security risk assessments for university researchers seeking federal funds (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York) 
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] OPINION: Fred Youngs: Prime minister is no different than Harper when it comes to government transparency (Hamilton Spectator) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY/VACCINE PASSPORTS] Canadian Human Rights Commission weighs in on vaccine passport (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York) 
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY/NATIONAL SECURITY] China tightening grip on IP in Canada (National Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [BROADCASTING POLICY/ADS] OPINION: Sylvain Charlebois: It is time for Canada to regulate against exploitive food marketing toward children (St. Catherine Standard) (McMaster; York) 
• [FREEDOM OF SPEEH/HATE SPEECH] Fizza Kulvi: Meet Rumble, Canada’s new ‘free speech’ platform — and its impact on the fight against online misinformation (Canadian Press/The Conversation) (McMaster; York) 
• [NEWS PUBLISHING/PLATFORM REGULATION] Postmedia CEO renews call for Big Tech legislation (Financial Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY/ENCRYPTION] Mozilla partners with CIRA to upgrade Canada’s online privacy through Firefox (Canadian Press/ CIRA) (McMaster; York) 

International News 

• [LIBEL] A major Supreme Court First Amendment decision could be at risk  (Washington Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [PATENT] Huawei, Verizon settle patent suits mid-trial (Bloomberg News) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY] WhatsApp faces EU consumer complaint over privacy updates  (Associated Press News) (McMaster; York) 
• [ANTI-COMPETITION POLICY] Biden’s bid to take on big business sets off battle over who holds power in U.S. economy  (Seattle Times; Similar Article in Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [CENSORSHIP] Trump files class action lawsuits targeting Facebook, Twitter and Google’s YouTube over ‘censorship’ of conservatives (Washington Post)  (McMaster; York) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: DONALD TRUMP: Why I’m Suing Big Tech  (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Fred Hiatt: Legally, Trump’s tech lawsuit is a joke. But it raises a serious question.  (Washington Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY/CYBERSECURITY] European Privacy Regulators Take Aim at Firms’ Cybersecurity Failures (Wall Street Journal)  (McMaster; York) 
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] Polish draft law seen as targeting critical broadcaster (Associated Press News) (McMaster; York) 
• [CYBERSECURITY POLICY] China Plans Checks of Tech Firms (New York Times; Similar story in the Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] OPINION: Ivana Stradner: Russian hackers are sowing havoc. So why are we letting Moscow write the U.N.’s rules on cyberspace? (Washington Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [PERSONAL INFORMATION/GENETIC DATA] Chinese gene giant harvesting users’ data; Prenatal test  (Reuters) (McMaster; York) 
• [DATA SECURITY] TikTok’s Owner Delayed IPO After Warning — ByteDance’s decision to put off plans came amid Beijing pressure on cybersecurity (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/DISCRIMINATION] Chinese social media giant WeChat shuts LGBT accounts (Associated Press News) (McMaster; York) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook’s strategy: Apologize later  (Washington Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [PRIVACY/COVID-19 SCANNERS] Abu Dhabi’s lightning-fast COVID-19 scanners raise privacy fears (Reuters) (McMaster; York) 
• [TELECOM REGULATION/ROBOCALLS] F.T.C. Launches Another Tool to Fight Robocalls  (New York Times) (McMaster; York) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg’s Partnership Did Not Survive Trump  (New York Times) (McMaster; York) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Dave Yost: Let’s Make Google a Public Good (New York Times) (McMaster; York) 
• [INTERNET REGULATION] The thrill of 5G comes with an ugly downside (Washington Post) (McMaster; York) 
• [AI/FACIAL RECOGNITION] The Next Face of AI (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York) 

(July 6 – July 12, 2021) 

Supreme Court of Canada 

• The Supreme Court of Canada has today deposited with the Registrar judgments in the following leave applications.  
  • [PATENT] J.R. Simplot Company and Simplot Canada (II) Limited v. McCain Foods Limited and Elea Vertriebs-Und-Vermarktungsgesellschaft, MBH (F.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39600) 
  • [PATENT] Amgen Inc. and Amgen Canada Inc. v. Pfizer Canada ULC (F.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (39530) 

Federal Court of Canada 

• [PATENT] Sherman v. Pfizer Canada Inc. – 2021 FC 554 – 2021-06-07 
• [PRIVACY] Reference re Subsection 18.3(1) of the Federal Courts Act – 2021 FC 723 – 2021-07-08 

Federal Court of Appeal 

• [PRIVACY] Phillips v. Capital One (Canada Branch) – 2021 FCA 134 – 2021-07-07 

 Competition Bureau Canada 

• Competition Bureau investigates Canada Tax Reviews’ marketing practices regarding pandemic benefit programs 

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 

• Government of Canada takes action to protect Canadian research and intellectual property 

Google 

• A lawsuit that ignores choice on Android and Google Play 

CRTC 

News Releases: 

• Telecom order 2021-225 
  [2021-07-09 11:00:00] 
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Bell Aliant, a division of Bell Canada, TN 549 and Bell MTS, a division of Bell Canada, TN 833 
• Telecom order 2021-224 
  [2021-07-09 11:00:00] 
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Fido Solutions Inc., TN 28 
• Telecom order 2021-223 
  [2021-07-09 11:00:00] 
  Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Deafness Advocacy Association Nova Scotia in the proceeding that led to Telecom Decision 2021-199 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2020-0326 and 4754-654 
• Telecom order 2021-222 
  [2021-07-09 11:00:00] 
  Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of Newfoundland and Labrador Association of the Deaf in the proceeding that led to Telecom Decision 2021-199 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2020-0326 and LCD 4754-655 
• Telecom order 2021-221 
  [2021-07-09 11:00:00] 
  Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Ontario Association of the Deaf in the proceeding that led to Telecom Decision 2021-199 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2020-0326 and 4754-657 
• Telecom order 2021-220 
  [2021-07-09 11:00:00] 
  Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Deaf Wireless Canada Consultative Committee in the proceeding that led to Telecom Decision 2021-199 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2020-0326 and 4754-656 
• Telecom order 2021-219 
  [2021-07-09 11:00:00] 
  Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Canadian Association of the Deaf-Association des Sourds du Canada in the proceeding that led to Telecom Decision 2021¬-199 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2020-0326 and 4754-653 
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2021-218 
  [2021-07-09 11:00:00] 
  Notice of hearing – 9 September 2021 – Gatineau, Quebec – Deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 9 August 2021 
• Telecom decision 2021-217 
  [2021-07-08 11:00:00] 
  CISC Canadian Steering Committee on Numbering – Consensus report CNRE126A – Revised Appendix B, Canadian NPA Relief Planning Timeline, to the Canadian NPA Relief Planning Guideline – Public record: 8621-C12-01/08 
• Broadcasting decision 2021-216 
  [2021-07-08 11:00:00] 
  APPROVED – Durham Radio Inc. on behalf of 0971197 B.C. Ltd. (Roundhouse) – Vancouver, British Columbia – Application for authority to change the ownership and effective control of Roundhouse through the transfer of all the issued and outstanding shares of Roundhouse to Durham Radio Inc. – DENIED – Request for an exception to the requirement to pay tangible benefits – APPROVED – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for CIRH-FM – APPROVED – Application to amend certain conditions of licence for CIRH-FM 
• Broadcasting and Telecom regulatory policy 2021-215 
  [2021-07-07 11:00:00] 
  The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Accessibility Reporting Regulations – Public record: 1011-NOC2020-0124 and 1011-NOC2021-069 

Supreme Court of Canada 

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that judgment in the following leave applications will be delivered at 9:45 am EDT on Thursday, July 15, 2021. This list is subject to changes. 
  • [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, et al. v. Subway Franchise Systems of Canada Inc., et al. (Ont.) (Civil) (By Leave) ( 39607 ) 
  • [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Subway Franchise Systems of Canada, Inc., et al. v. Trent University (Ont.) (Civil) (By Leave) ( 39611 ) 

Senate of Canada 

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: The Senate is not sitting today. 

Canadian House of Commons 

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week, with possible extension of sitting hours: The House of Commons is not sitting today. The House is adjourned until Monday, September 20, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). 

CRTC  

Open Proceedings 

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings 
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings 

Regulatory Policies 

Broadcasting  

• 2021-215 – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Accessibility Reporting Regulations – Public record: 1011-NOC2020-0124 and 1011-NOC2021-069 

 Telecommunications 

• 2021-215 – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Accessibility Reporting Regulations – Public record: 1011-NOC2020-0124 and 1011-NOC2021-069 

Anticipated releases for the week of July 12 to 16 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:  

• Quinte Broadcasting Company Limited 
  Belleville, Ontario 
  CIGL-FM Belleville – Technical changes 
  Public record: 2021-0254-9 

 Public Hearings 

• To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2021-218 (View hearing documents (2021-218) (September 9, 2021) 

Open Public Consultations:  

• Access to Information Review Public Engagement: Reviewing access to information – https://atiareview.ca (March 31, 2021-July 31, 2021) 
• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat: Reviewing access to information (March 31 – July 31, 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)