Newsletter: December 21st, 2021

Weekly News (December 21st, 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

(December 14-20, 2021)

Canadian News

·         [ONLINE REGULATION] Liberals to introduce bill forcing online giants to compensate news outlets (National Post)

·         [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Should Ottawa fight Quebec in federal court over religious symbols? ‘Of course,’ diversity minister says (Toronto Star)

·         [PLATFORM REGULATION] Federal digital services tax legislation now would be ‘risky’ considering strained U.S. trade relations: critics (National Post)

·         [PRIVACY] Privacy commissioners crack down on Clearview AI (Globe & Mail)

·         [CONTENT REGULATION] Rediffusions:des avertissements aux effets partagés (Le Devoir)

·         [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PRIVACY] Our casual use of facial analysis tools can lead to more sinister applications (National Post)

·         [CYBERSECURITY]Desjardins annonce une entente de 200 millions en lien avec la fuite de données (Le Devoir)

·         OPINION: DOMISE: Genealogy kits aren’t fun holiday gifts. They’re privacy violations waiting to happen (Globe & Mail)

International News

·         [CYBERSECURITY/CYBERCRIME] UK lawmakers call for tougher crackdown on online scammers, cyberflashing (Reuters)

·         [PLATFORM REGULATION] China Fines Weibo for Spreading ‘Illegal Information’ (Wall Street Journal)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Amazon partnered with China propaganda arm to win Beijing’s favor, document shows (Reuters)

·         [PRIVACY] China’s Growing Access to Global Shipping Data Worries U.S. (Wall Street journal)

·         [PRIVACY] Documents link Huawei to China’s surveillance programs (Washington Post)

·         [HATE SPEECH] Far-right using COVID-19 theories to grow reach, study shows (CTV News)

·         [PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen has book deal (MSN News)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/CONTENT MODERATION] EXCLUSIVE Zoom has joined tech industry counterterrorism group (Reuters)

·         [PRIVACY] Revealed: LAPD used ‘strategic communications’ firm to track ‘defund the police’ online (Guardian)

·         [CONTENT MODERATION] How did Bolsonaro win Time magazine’s Person of the Year reader poll? Thank Telegram (Washington Post)

·         [DEFAMATION] Judge rejects Fox News request to dismiss Dominion Voting’s defamation lawsuit over election claims (Washington Post)

·         [HATE SPEECH] As fans return to high school sports, officials say student behavior has never been worse (Washington Post)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/PRIVACY] How to read and understand Apple’s new iOS App Privacy Report (Washington Post)

(December 14-20, 2021)

Supreme Court of Canada

• Judgements in Leave Applications: [DEFAMATION] Roch Guimont et Constance Guimont c. Ian Bussières, Groupe Capitales Médias inc. (Le Soleil) et Gesca (La Presse.ca) (Qc) (Civile) (Autorisation) (38653) The Supreme Court of Canada has today deposited with the Registrar judgments in the following leave applications.
  • The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Quebec (Québec), Number 200-09-009573-178, 2019 QCCA 280, dated February 18, 2019, is dismissed.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Governments of Canada and Alberta partner to connect rural, remote and Indigenous communities to high-speed Internet

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Clearview AI ordered to comply with recommendations to stop collecting, sharing images

CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom order 2021-422
  [2021-12-16 11:00:00]
  The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Saskatchewan Telecommunications, TN 373 and TN 373A
• Telecom order 2021-421
  [2021-12-16 11:00:00]
  The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: TELUS Communications Inc. TN 565
• Telecom order 2021-420
  [2021-12-16 11:00:00]
  The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Bell Canada, TN 968 and TN 968A
• Telecom decision 2021-419
  [2021-12-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for ATG Arrow Technology Group Limited Partnership’s access project in Alberta (Boyer 164) – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-418
  [2021-12-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for ATG Arrow Technology Group Limited Partnership’s access project in Alberta (Child Lake 164A) – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-417
  [2021-12-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for ATG Arrow Technology Group Limited Partnership’s access project in Alberta (Louis Bull 138B) – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-416
  [2021-12-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for ATG Arrow Technology Group Limited Partnership’s access projects in Alberta (Louis Bull 138B, Child Lake 164A, and Boyer 164) – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-415
  [2021-12-16 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for We’koqma’q First Nation and Seaside Communications Inc.’s access project in Nova Scotia – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom order 2021-414
  [2021-12-15 11:00:00]
  Northwestel Inc. – Wholesale Connect Service – Addition of a new network breakout point in Fort St. John, British Columbia – Public record: Tariff Notice 1126
• Telecom order 2021-410
  [2021-12-15 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff application: Bell Canada, TN 7639
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2021-413
  [2021-12-15 11:00:00]
  Call for comments on market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Joliette, Quebec – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0413
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2021-412
  [2021-12-15 11:00:00]
  Call for comments on market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0412
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2021-411
  [2021-12-15 11:00:00]
  Call for comments on market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Winnipeg, Manitoba – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0411
• Telecom order 2021-409
  [2021-12-14 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Bell Aliant, a division of Bell Canada, TN 555, Bell Canada, TN 970 and Bell MTS, a division of Bell Canada, TN 842

Copyright Board of Canada

• CPCC – Private Copying Tariff (2022-2024) Reasons, December 17, 2021;Tariff, December 18, 2021

YouTube

• YouTube TV and Disney Programming Update

Microsoft

• Recognizing partner law firms for furthering diversity in the legal profession

Twitter

• Our continued collaboration with trusted partners

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: No sitting days this week.

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: No sitting days this week. The House is adjourned until Monday, January 31, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. (EST).

CRTC

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of 20 to 22 December 2021

• The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the week of 20 to 22 December 2021. This is subject to change without notice.

·         Broadcasting Decision:

TLN Media Group Inc.
EuroWorld Sport – Licence amendment
Public record: 2021-0454-5

·         Telecom Decision:

CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee – Application requesting an urgent and expedited Commission direction deferring the effective date for the implementation of STIR/SHAKEN to 9-1-1 voice calls
Public record: 8638-B2-202107268

Open Public Consultations

• 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)