Weekly News (December 14th, 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.

(December 7-13, 2021)

 Canadian News 

·         [PRIVACY] Federal privacy watchdog warns of dangers of ‘surveillance capitalism’ by large corporations (Globe & Mail)

·         [TELECOM POLICY] Chinese telecom firm loses court battle against order to divest Canadian subsidiary (National Post)

·         [TELECOM POLICY] 5G: La Chine exhorte le Canada à autoriser Huawei (La Presse)

·         [PRIVACY] How major institutions want to use debit-card, search and phone data to measure the economy (Globe & Mail)

·         [TELECOM POLICY] Gap reaches settlement with CRTC to pay $200,000 penalty over allegations it violated anti-spam rules (Globe & Mail)

·         [FREEDOM OF INFORMATION/HATE SPEECH] Handing out anti-gay flyers at Toronto Pride was reprehensible, but not a hate crime, judge rules (Toronto Star)

·         [DEFAMATION/JURISDICTION] B.C. businessman Frank Giustra’s lawsuit against Twitter can proceed, court rules (National Post)

·         [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Doug Ford’s controversial campaign advertising limits are OK, judge rules (Toronto Star)

·         [CYBERSECURITY/PRIVACY] Une faille de sécurité force Québec à fermer ses sites internet (Le Devoir)

·         [PLATFORM REGULATION/ONLINE HARMS] Opinion: Trudel: La lutte contre le cyberharcèlement, un devoir (Le Devoir)

·         [HATE SPEECH] OPINION: Nanos: Data Dive with Nik Nanos: Canadians recognize racism is a problem, both online and off (Globe & Mail)

International News

·         [PRIVACY] The world is closing the gap with Europe on digital rules, E.U. competition chief says (Washington Post)

·         [HATE SPEECH] Rohingya Sue Facebook for $150B, Alleging Role in Violence (US News)

·         [COMPETITION] Polish regulator to investigate Apple’s privacy policy (Reuters)

·         [PRIVACY] Why Apps Suddenly Want to Protect Kids (New York Times)

·         [HATE SPEECH] Shareholders Press Facebook for Governance Changes (Wall Street Journal)

·         [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Tim Cook reportedly signed five-year $275bn deal with Chinese officials (Guardian)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/HATE SPEECH] Racists and Taliban supporters have flocked to Twitter’s new audio service after executives ignored warnings (Washington Post)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/HATE SPEECH] Black people use Facebook more than anyone. Now they’re leaving (USA Today)

·         [FREEDOM OF INFORMATION] Hungary’s media, health experts seek more COVID-19 data (ABC News)

·         [PRIVACY] Your next smartphone might have a camera that’s always watching (Washington Post)

·         [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Social media platforms jeopardise elections, Nobel Peace laureate Ressa says (Reuters)

·         [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] EDITORIAL: OPINION: Gigi Sohn’s Strange Bedfellows (Wall Street Journal)

(December 7-13, 2021)

Canadian Heritage

• Minister Rodriguez Will Invite the Arts, Culture and Heritage Sectors to a National Summit on Their Recovery in Early 2022

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada announces support for new accessible technology projects

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• OPC signs information-sharing agreement with Nunavut counterpart
• Tabling of the Privacy Commissioner’s annual report
• Letters to the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers and party leaders regarding important privacy issues
• To build a more resilient economy, Commissioner calls on government to make privacy law reform a priority
• Remarks by Privacy Commissioner of Canada regarding his 2020-2021 Annual Report to Parliament
• Projecting our values into laws

CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom order 2021-406
  [2021-12-10 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc. TN 1145
• Telecom order 2021-405
  [2021-12-10 11:00:00]
  Shaw Cablesystems G.P. – Reintroduction of a new wholesale high-speed access service tier – Public record: Tariff Notice 40
• Telecom notice of consultation 2021-404
  [2021-12-09 11:00:00]
  Call for comments – Hosted call handling solutions for public safety answering points on the next-generation 9-1-1 network – Public record: 8633-T264-202103704
• Compliance and Enforcement and Telecom decision 2021-403
  [2021-12-09 11:00:00]
  Bell Canada – Application to allow Bell Canada and its affiliates to block certain fraudulent and scam voice calls on a permanent basis – Public record: 8638-B2-202006345
• Broadcasting decision 2021-402
  [2021-12-08 11:00:00]
  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Toronto and Haliburton, Ontario – Application to change the authorized contours of CBLY-FM Haliburton, a rebroadcasting transmitter of the English-language radio station CBLA-FM Toronto
• Telecom order 2021-401
  [2021-12-08 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Acceptance of statement of work for Rogers Communications Canada Inc.’s Ontario transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372

Google

• How to sustain a safe, thriving app and game ecosystem

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Dec 15-17, 2021.

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: Dec 15-17, 2021.

CRTC 

      Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of 13 to 17 December 2021

• The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the week of 13 to 17 December 2021. This is subject to change without notice.

Open Public Consultations

• Prescribed electronic format to enable digital access to personal health information (reply comments due December 15, 2021)
• Enabling the enforceability of the Building Broadband Faster Act Guideline (reply comments due January 17, 2022)
• Consultation about a 3-digit phone number for suicide prevention (reply comments due January 31, 2022)