Newsletter: July 27, 2021

Weekly News (July 27th, 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.

Communications Governance Observatory Podcast: new episodes!
-Produced by host Sumana Naidu-
July 14th, 2021: Bill C-10 with Dr. Fenwick McKelvey (36 min)
June 18, 2021: Bill C-10 with Bill Skolnik and Nathalie Guay from the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (CDCE) (45 min)

(July 20-26, 2021)

Canadian News

• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION/INTERNET REGULATION] Government docs on porn regulator will take six years to access: Justice Department (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Des experts craignent une hausse des prix dans le sans-fil canadien (Le Devoir)
• [DEFAMATION] News Judge tosses defamation suit launched by ex-Hamilton city staffer with white supremacist ties (Hamilton Spectator) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: Navneet Alang: Our digital world is a privacy nightmare(Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [AI/National Security] CSIS warns Canadian universities to be on alert for international espionage (Globe and Mail) (McMaster; York)
• [NATIONAL SECURITY/DISINFORMATION] Canada’s domestic spy agency said it countered foreign threats to 2019 election, document reveals (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [NATIONAL SECURITY/DISINFORMATION] Canada’s domestic spy agency said it countered foreign threats to 2019 election, document reveals (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [MISINFORMATION] OPINION: Marcus Kolga: Defending and detoxifying Canada’s information environment (Toronto Star) (McMaster; York)
• [TRADEMARK] Canada Goose suing luxury Goose Country (National Post) (McMaster; York)

 

International News

• [ANTITRUST] Biden’s Antitrust Team Signals a Big Swing at Corporate Titans (New York Times) (McMaster; York)
• [ANTITRUST] For Big Tech, There’s a New Sheriff on the Beat (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] India’s DNA data law seen to harm minorities, hurt privacy (Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] EU-U.S. Data Privacy Talks Enter Second Year With No Timeline for Resolution (Wall Street Journal) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY Dutch data protection authority fines TikTok over privacy (Associated Press News) (McMaster; York) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Facebook and tech giants to target attacker manifestos, far-right militias in database (Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] China fines tech giants for content exploiting children(Bloomberg News) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Chinese tech giants set their sights on Washington as they work to do damage (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Allysia Finley: Does Section 230 Have Limits? An appeals court takes a second look at whether the law protects Big Tech from discrimination claims. (Wall Street Journal)
• [CENSORSHIP/EXTREMIST CONTENT] Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s website blocked by regulator before election (Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Biden administration imposes sanctions on Cuban officials after attacks on protesters (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [ANTITRUST] India watchdog accuses Amazon of concealing facts in deal for Future Group unit (Reuters) (McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY/HUMAN RIGHTS] A priest’s phone location data outed his private life. It could happen to anyone. (Washington Post) (McMaster; York)
• [MISINFORMATION] Opinion: Shira Ovide: What the Fight Over Facebook Misses(New York Times)
• [PRIVACY] What Should Happen to Our Data When We Die? (New York Times) (McMaster; York)
• [LIBEL] Activist Loses Libel Case To a Refugee In the U.K. (New York Times) (McMaster; York)

(July 20-26 2021)

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that judgment in the following appeal will be delivered at 9:45 a.m. EDT on Friday, July 30, 2021. This list is subject to change.

• • [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION]  York University, et al. v. Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (“Access Copyright”), et al. (F.C.) (39222)

 

Federal Court of Appeal

• [COPYRIGHT] Bell Canada v. Copyright Collective of Canada – 2021 FCA 148 – 2021-07-22
• [PATENT] Apotex Inc. v. Eli Lilly and Company – 2021 FCA 149 – 2021-07-23

 

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Commissioner’s appearance before parliamentary committee to discuss his reappointment
• Appearance before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) on the certificate of nomination of Daniel Therrien to the position of Privacy Commissioner

 

Microsoft

• Tech support scams adapt and persist in 2021, per new Microsoft research

 

CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom order 2021-237
  [2021-07-22 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc. TN 1131
• Telecom order 2021-236
  [2021-07-21 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Northwestel Inc. TNs 1127, 1128, 1129 and 1130

 

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 26-30, 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 Regulatory Policy:  

• Access to in-building wire in multi-dwelling units
  Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0420

 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)
• 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)
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada: Consultation on a Modern Copyright Framework for AI and IoT (July 16-September 16, 2021)