Weekly News (November 30th, 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 23-29, 2021)

Canadian News 

·         [PLATFORM REGULATION] Liberals to proceed with digital services tax on tech giants (National Post)

·         [BROADCASTING POLICY] Media experts agree action is needed, but urge caution on how streaming is regulated (Toronto Star)

·         [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY/COMPETITION] Rogers rejects criticism from competitors on Shaw deal, offers some concessions (Globe & Mail)

·         [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Audiences du CRTC; Rogers rejette les critiques de ses concurrents (La Presse)

·         [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Shaw-Rogers; BCE exhorte le CRTC de ne pas accepter le mariage (La Presse) 

·         [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Saskatchewan to ban COVID-19 protests near schools as it rolls out shots for kids (National Post)

·         [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] 911 goes digital to allow texts, photos and video (Toronto Star)

·         [PRIVACY; PRESS FREEDOM] St. John’s threat against media defies reality: experts (Toronto Star)

·         [CANADIAN CONTENT/DISCOVERABILITY] Plateformes de diffusion en continu; Le peu de visibilité de la chanson québécoise inquiète le secteur musical (La Presse)

·         [DEFAMATION] Environmentalists threaten Alberta Premier Kenney with lawsuit over inquiry remarks (CBC News)

·         [MEDIA GOVERNANCE] Les médias anglophones plus représentatifs de la diversité que ceux du Québec (Le Devoir)

·         [MEDIA GOVERNANCE] Le harcèlement, fléau du journalisme (Le Devoir)

·         [PRIVACY] OPINION: Trenaman: The Canadian lab that exposed a critical flaw that left Apple devices vulnerable (National Post)

International News

·         [PLATFORM REGULATION] Congress is weighing changes to Section 230, again. Here are what bills stand a chance (Washington Post)

·         [DEFAMATION] Australia to introduce new laws to force media platforms to unmask online trolls (Reuters)

·         [PLATFORM REGULATION] Instagram head Adam Mosseri to testify before Congress amid mounting criticism over child safety (USA Today)

·         [CYBERWAR] Israel and Iran Broaden Cyberwar to Attack Civilian Targets (New York Times)

·         [PRIVACY] China’s State-Run Companies Limit Use of Tencent’s Messaging App (Wall Street Journal)

·         [INTELLIGENCE] Biometrics, Smartphones, Surveillance Cameras Pose New Obstacles for U.S. Spies (Wall Street Journal)

·         [PRIVACY/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Mining Data to Uncover Worthy Borrowers Shut Out by Credit Scores (New York Times)

·         [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Clearview AI does well in another round of facial recognition accuracy tests (New York Times)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Netflix employees drop labour complaint, one resigns after Dave Chappelle special (CBC News)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Why Lush Cosmetics is exiting the ‘dark and dangerous alleyway’ of social media (CBC News)

·         [PRIVACY] How much data does your car collect on you? (Toronto Star)

·         [PRIVACY/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Android privacy settings to change now (Washington Post)

·         [HATE SPEECH/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Here’s where civil right advocates say Facebook is still falling short (Washington Post)

·         [HATE SPEECH] Editorial: Opinion: How is Facebook doing on civil rights? Depends whom you ask (Washington Post)

·         [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Lee & Fung: Artificial intelligence may not actually be the solution for stopping the spread of fake news (The Conversation)

(November 23-29, 2021)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Governments of Canada and Quebec announce joint investment to bring high-speed Internet access to all households in Venise-en-Québec

CRTC

      Speeches:

• Opening remarks at the public hearing to consider Rogers Communications’ application to acquire Shaw Communications’ cable and satellite services

         November 22, 2021

News Releases:

• Telecom order 2021-392
  [2021-11-24 11:00:00]
  Rogers Communications Canada Inc. – Introduction of a new wholesale high-speed access speed tier – Public record: Tariff Notice 69
• Telecom order 2021-391
  [2021-11-24 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund Payment Order – Approval of Claim Form – November 2021
• Broadcasting decision 2021-390
  [2021-11-24 11:00:00]
  Télé Inter-Rives ltée – Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec – Application to replace the transmitter CIMT-DT-6 Rivière-du-Loup, a rebroadcasting transmitter of the French-language television station CIMT-DT Rivière-du-Loup
• Broadcasting decision 2021-389
  [2021-11-24 11:00:00]
  Télé Inter-Rives ltée, on behalf of Télévision MBS inc. – Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec – Application to reallocate to CFTF-DT Rivière-du-Loup funding for local news from the Independent Local News Fund that was previously granted to CKRT-DT Rivière-du-Loup

Copyright Board of Canada:

• SOCAN Tariff 4.B: Live Performances at Theatres or Other Places of Entertainment – Classical Music Concerts (2018-2024) Reasons, November 26, 2021; Tariff, November 27, 2021

Apple:

• Apple sues NSO Group to curb the abuse of state-sponsored spyware

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Nov 30-Dec 7, 2021

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Nov 30- Dec 7, 2021; A new session has now started. However, committees may not take up the responsibilities assigned to them until their members have been named and a chair is duly elected.

CRTC 

      Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of November 29-December 3, 2021

• The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the week of 29 November to 3 December 2021. This is subject to change without notice.

  Telecom Decisions:

• TELUS Communications Inc. – Application to review and vary Telecom Decision 2020‑268
  Public record: 8662-T66-202007666
• Iristel Inc. – Application to review, vary, and stay Telecom Decision 2020-268 and Telecom Notice of Consultation 2020-269 regarding the routing of traffic to Numbering Plan Area 867
  Public record: 8662-J64-202005595

Open Public Consultations: 

• Prescribed electronic format to enable digital access to personal health information (reply comments due December 15, 2021)