Weekly News (November 23rd, 2021)

Compiled by Boxi Chen, Fizza Kulvi, Meaghan Wester, and Nick Gertler with 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.

(November 16-22, 2021)

Canadian News 

·         [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE PRESS] Journalists released with conditions after arrest at B.C. pipeline dispute (Toronto Star)

·         [MEDIA OWNERSHIP/TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] CRTC hearings begin on Rogers-Shaw deal that would make Big Three telcos even bigger (CBC)

·         [MEDIA OWNERSHIP/TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] CRTC: Début des audiences sur le projet de Rogers d’acquérir Shaw (La Presse)

·         [MEDIA OWNERSHIP/TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Péladeau slams telecom ‘oligopoly’ (Windsor Star)

·         [MEDIA OWNERSHIP/TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Le départ du patron de Rogers soulève des questions sur l’avenir de l’entreprise (Le Devoir)

·         [PRIVACY] Ontario is developing a digital ID program for its citizens. The process needs more transparency, privacy experts say (Toronto Star)

·         [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] CRTC’s crackdown on spam calls won’t have immediate effects – but it’s a step in the right direction, experts say (Toronto Star)

·         [HATE SPEECH] Anti-hate groups fear wording problems may delay a new law tackling vitriol online (National Post)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/INTERNET POLICY] Ottawa pressé de réglementer la haine en ligne (Le Devoir)

·         [CULTURAL POLICY] Bringing diversity to film, TV shows (Toronto Star) 

·         [CYBERSECURITY] Menaces de cyberattaques durant la pandémie: Investissements massifs pour sécuriser les communications des ministres (La Presse)

·         [INTERNET REGULATIONS] OPINION: Goldberg: New minister needs to rethink the government’s draconian internet regulations (National Post)

·         [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Stark: For Canadian youth, facial recognition technologies are a canary in the coal mine (National Post)

·         [FREEDOM OF INFORMATION] OPINION: McKenzie: B.C.’s proposed FOI fee threatens ‘Indigenous Peoples, families and communities’ (Toronto Star)

International News

·         [PRIVACY] Four key questions for Biden’s FTC, FCC nominees (Washington Post)

·         [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Pfizer will allow other firms to make pill (Toronto Star)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/PRIVACY] Facebook and Instagram gathering browsing data from under-18s, study says (The Guardian)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] WhatsApp pushes privacy update to comply with Irish ruling (NBC NEWS)

·         [COPYRIGHT] Google reaches content deals with German publishers (AP News)

·         [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] House panel probing free speech at University of Florida (AP News)

·         [HATE SPEECH/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Hate speech in Myanmar continues to thrive on Facebook (AP News)

·         [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] U.N. expert raises concerns over media freedom in Hungary ahead of 2022 vote (Reuters)

·         [CENSORSHIP] The Peng Shuai scandal has quickly become a public relations disaster for the Chinese government ( Globe & Mail)

·         [PRIVACY] Amazon wages secret war on Americans’ privacy, documents show (Reuters)

·         [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Pakistan frees leader of party behind anti-France rally (AP News)

·         [PRIVACY] Digital world seen moving into ‘authoritarian space’ (Reuters)

·         [PRIVACY] For many men, apps can be ‘an important gateway to mental health’ (Washington Post)

·         [PRIVACY] Roblox voice chat checks ID to keep kids safe, but slurs and sex sounds slip through (Washington Post)

·         [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Indian comedian causes stir with monologue in DC (Washington Post)

·         [CONTENT MODERATION] Facebook took down an armed New Mexico group’s accounts. Prosecutors say it deleted key evidence (Washington Post)

·         [MISINFORMATION] Amazon books offering up pseudoscience on vaccines  (National Post)

·         [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Hoffman: For China, technological superiority is about power and control  (National Post)

·         [DEFAMATION] OPINION: Wemple: Project Veritas says it stands for the First Amendment. Its recent court filings suggest otherwise. (Washington Post)

(November 16-22, 2021)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada announces partnership with the European Commission to examine the use of digital credentials 

CBC

• CBC Sets Carbon Footprint Requirement For All Original Productions To Advance Sustainability In The Canadian Media Industry

CRTC

      Speeches:

• Ian Scott to the Canadian Telecom Summit

       November 15, 2021

News Releases:

• Telecom order 2021-388
  [2021-11-19 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Acceptance of statement of work for BH Telecom Corp.’s Saskatchewan transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom order 2021-386
  [2021-11-19 11:00:00]
  Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in the proceeding that led to Telecom Decision 2021-385 – File numbers: 8622-C347-202101111 and 4754-676
• Telecom decision 2021-385
  [2021-11-19 11:00:00]
  Competitive Network Operators of Canada – Application requesting relief from Rogers Communications Canada Inc. concerning Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) 3.0 modems – Public record: 8622-C347-202101111
• Compliance and Enforcement decision 2021-387
  [2021-11-19 11:00:00]
  2442957 Ontario Inc., operating as Trust Windows Corp. – Violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules – File number: PDR 9174-2829
• Telecom decision 2021-384
  [2021-11-17 11:00:00]
  Final 2021 revenue-percent charge and related matters

Twitter

• Our work to protect the integrity of the conversation in Ethiopia

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Nov 23-30, 2021

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Nov 23-30, 2021; The first session of the 44th Parliament is scheduled to open on Monday, November 22, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

CRTC 

      Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of November 22-26, 2021

• The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the week of 22 to 26 November 2021. This is subject to change without notice.

      Broadcasting Decisions:

• Télé Inter-Rives ltée, on behalf of Télévision MBS inc.
  Télé Inter-Rives ltée – Reallocation of funding from the Independent Local News Fund
  Public record: 2021-0236-7
• Télé Inter-Rives ltée
  Télévision MBS inc.
  CIMT-DT Rivière-du-Loup and its transmitter CIMT-DT-6 Rivière-du-Loup; CFTF-DT Rivière-du-Loup and its transmitter CFTF-DT-11 Carleton-sur-Mer – Technical changes
  Public records: 2021-0419-9, 2021-0364-6 and 2021-0414-9

Open Public Consultations: 

• Consultation on New Access Licensing Framework, Changes to Subordinate Licensing and White Space to Support Rural and Remote Deployment  (reply comments due November 24, 2021)
• Prescribed electronic format to enable digital access to personal health information (reply comments due December 15, 2021)