Newsletter: February 1, 2022

Weekly News (January 25th, 2022)

Compiled by Kyle Wyndham-West, Bradley McNeil, Fizza Kulvi, Meaghan Wester, and Nick Gertler with Sara Bannerman, Fenwick McKelvey, Guillaume Dandurand, Marek Blottière, and Kevin Morin
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(January 25 – February 1, 2022)

Canadian News 

• [BROADCASTING REGULATION] Liberals to reboot controversial C-10, along with bill forcing digital giants to pay for news (The National Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/CULTURAL FUNDING] Les géants du numérique doivent payer les médias, assure Pablo Rodriguez (La Presse)
• [PRIVACY] Global Affairs Canada suffers ‘cyber attack’ amid Russia-Ukraine tensions: sources (Global News) / Attaque informatique au fédéral : Un « cyberincident » s’est produit à Affaires mondiales (La Presse)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Baisse de 25 % des forfaits cellulaires : Mission accomplie, annoncera le gouvernement Trudeau (La Presse)
• [PRIVACY] Newfoundland and Labrador town to stop use of body cameras by municipal officers (CTV News)
• [DEFAMATION] Ngola lawsuit: Could Facebook be held responsible for hateful comments about a former N.B. doctor? (Global News)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Opinion: Morin: White supremacy in all its glory (The Star)
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] Radio-Canada perd une autre membre de sa direction à Québec (Le Devoir)
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP/CULTURAL FUNDING] Temps difficile pour Netflix, sauf au Québec (Le Devoir)

International News

• [PRIVACY] Google changes course on cookies plans following advertising industry backlash (Finacial Times)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Spotify removes Neil Young music in feud over Joe Rogan’s false Covid claims (The Guardian)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Amazon abandons influence campaign designed to attract staff (Financial Times)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Facebook gives up on digital payments ambitions with Diem asset sale (Irish Times)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] The IRS website will soon require facial recognition to log in to your account (CNN)
• [CENSORSHIP] US conservatives linked to rich donors wage campaign to ban books from schools (The Guardian)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Lima: Ro Khanna says Congress has failed to regulate the tech (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] OPINION: Lewis: The titans of the metaverse have a bandwidth issue (Financial Times)
• [BROADCASTING] OPINION: The age of our diverse media has made the BBC yet more important (Financial Times)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] OPINION: editorial board: Gaming deal is a chance to spell out US antitrust policy (Financial Times)

(January 25 – February 1, 2022)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada delivers on commitment to reduce cell phone wireless plans by 25%
• Government of Canada invests over $6.9 million to bring high-speed Internet to more than 3,455 households in Ontario
• Government of Canada invests to bring high-speed Internet to 310 households in rural Ontario

National Film Board

• NFB kicks off Black History Month with the launch of Michèle Stephenson’s award-winning feature doc Stateless on NFB.ca.  Films and online activities honor and celebrate the enormous contributions of Black Canadians.

Google

• How Google puts you in control of your location data

Youtube

• Letter from Susan: Our 2022 Priorities

Facebook

• Updates to End-to-End Encrypted Chats on Messenger  

Spotify

• Spotify’s Platform Rules and Approach to COVID-19

CRTC

• CRTC investigation targets Dark Web marketplace vendors and administrator 

News Releases:

• Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-15

[2022-01-26 11:00:00]

Maritime Broadcasting System Limited – Campbellton, New Brunswick – Application by Maritime Broadcasting System Limited for a broadcasting license to operate an English-language commercial FM radio station in Campbellton, New Brunswick, to replace its English-language AM radio station CKNB Campbellton. Public record for this application: 2021-0192-1

• Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-14

[2022-01-26 11:00:00]

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador – Application for a broadcasting license to operate an English-language FM radio station in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador. Public record for this application: 2021-0234-1

• Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-9

[2022-01-24 11:00:00]

Gulf Islands Community Radio Society – Application for a broadcasting license to operate an English-language community FM radio station on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, as well as a rebroadcasting transmitter also on Salt Spring Island. Public record for this application: 2018-1112-5

• Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-11

[2022-01-25 11:00:00]

United Christian Broadcasters Media Canada – Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan – Applications to amend the broadcasting licenses for the English-language commercial specialty (Christian music) radio programming undertakings CKJJ-FM, CKGW-FM, CHJJ-FM, CJOA-FM, CJAH-FM, CKOS-FM, and CIUC-FM – Public record for this application: 2019-0517-6, 2019-0518-4, 2019-0519-2, 2019-0520-0, 2019-0521-7, 2019-0522-5 and 2019-0532-4

• Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-12

[2022-01-25 11:00:00]

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Halifax and Margaree, Nova Scotia – Application to change the authorized contours of CBAF-FM-12 Margaree, Nova Scotia, a rebroadcasting transmitter for the French-language radio programming undertaking CBAF-FM-5 Halifax (ICI Première) – Public record for this application: 2021-0396-9

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: No sitting days this week.
• Calendar of Order Paper and Notice Paper (Feb 8): https://sencanada.ca/en/content/sen/chamber/441/orderpaper/015op_2022-02-08-e#orders

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: February 1 – 4; 7 – 11
• Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI)
  • Collection and Use of Mobility Data by the Government of Canada

First meeting scheduled for: Thursday, February 3, 2022 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (EST)

• INDU Standing Committee on Industry and Technology
  • Proposed Acquisition of Shaw by Rogers

First meeting scheduled for: Tuesday, February 1, 2022 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (EST)

CRTC

Anticipated releases for the week of 31 January to 4 February 2022

The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the week of 31 January to 4 February 2022. This is subject to change without notice.

Open Proceedings:

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings 

Have a suggestion? Email Sara Bannerman at banners@mcmaster.ca 

To subscribe to this list, send an email to ncgl-news-l-join@mcmaster.ca  

To unsubscribe from this list, send an email to ncgl-news-l-leave@mcmaster.ca