Weekly News (May 10, 2022)

Compiled by 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.

(May 3 – May 9, 2022)

Canadian News 

• [COMPETITION POLICY] Competition Bureau files court applications to block Rogers-Shaw merger (CBC)
• [COMPETITION POLICY] Acquisition de Shaw par Rogers: Québecor se joint à la course pour l’achat de Freedom Mobile (La Presse)
• [COMPETITION POLICY] Fusion entre Roger et Shaw Les entreprises veulent aller de l’avant malgré les réserves du Bureau de la concurrence (La Presse)
• [ONLINE NEWS ACT] Google pushes for changes to news compensation bill (National Post)
• [PRIVACY] Ethics committee says government must tell Canadians it’s tracking their movements (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Données de géolocalisation, on vous suit ! (La Presse)
• [PRIVACY] Marketing numérique: Se faire pister pour le bien commun ? (La Presse)
• [INTERNET REGULATION] Le Commissariat aux conflits d’intérêts et à l’éthique enquêtera sur le CRTC (Le Devoir)
• [PRIVACY] Privacy commissioner to investigate ‘shocking’ potential breach; Information on dozens of CRA whistleblowers (National Post)
• [SURVEILLANCE] Surveillance plane circling Ottawa during convoy protests was military training exercise, Trudeau says (Globe and Mail)
• [PLATFORM/BROADCAST REGULATION] YouTube says bill could cover users’ videos, despite minister’s assurances (THE STAR)
• [ELECTION MISINFORMATION] CSIS had warned government of potential for violence, foreign interference in 2021 federal election (Globe and Mail)
• [E-COMMERCE REGULATION / COMPETITION] Hate it when the final bill is higher than the original price due to surprise fees? Ottawa is now planning to ban the practice (The Star)
• [INTERNET ACCESS] City’s plan for cheap, fast internet still alive, but may be years away (The Star)
• [PRIVACY / CYBER SECURITY] ​​​​IKEA Canada data breach impacts 95K customers (The Star)
• [CRYPTOCURRENCY] OPINION: Lou: Ottawa is missing a big opportunity by casting crypto as a threat (Financial Post)
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] OPINION: Willis: Rogers failed to listen to Ottawa, and now its Shaw deal is in jeopardy (Globe and Mail)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] OPINION: Fournier-Tombs: Elon Musk’s proposed takeover of Twitter raises questions about its role in the digital social infrastructure (National Post)
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: Editorial Board: Our privacy laws are stuck in the last century. They need updating now (The Star)
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION] OPINION: Editorial Board: Who wants to live in a surveillance state? Not Canadians; In Canada, the collection and use of facial-recognition technology is basically unregulated (Globe and Mail)

International News

• [CYBERSEUCIRTY] Sen. Gary Peters is overseeing a boom in cyber bills (Washington Post)
• [INTERNET ACCESS] White House announces internet program for low-income Americans (The Guardian)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Affordable Covid drugs kept out of reach by sluggish WTO (The Guardian)
• [INTERMEDIARY LIABILITY] Lawmakers aim to make California a national leader on kids online safety (Washington Post)
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION] Clearview AI to stop selling facial recognition tool to private firms (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Law enforcement could unleash its data collection tools on abortion seekers (Washington Post)
• [ONLINE HARMS] A teen girl sexually exploited on Snapchat takes on American tech (Washington Post)
• [CONTENT MODERATION / ONLINE ADS] Twitter Has Ad Problem, And Musk May Not Help (NYT)
• [FREE SPEECH/CENSORSHIP] Teens fight for the right to read with ‘banned-book clubs’ and lawsuits (Washington Post)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Meta has built a massive new language AI—and it’s giving it away for free (MIT Technology Review)
• [CONTENT MODERATION] Right-Wing Twitter Exiles Weigh a Return to the Arena (NYT)
• [MISINFORMATION] Russia’s ‘firehose of falsehood’ in Ukraine marks latest use of propaganda to justify war (USA Today)
• [ONLINE HARMS] In Philippines, Fertile Ground for Political Lies (NYT)
• [ONLINE HARMS] OPINION: Klein: TikTok May Be More Dangerous Than It Looks (NYT)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Haugen: Europe Is Making Social Media Better Without Curtailing Free Speech. The U.S. Should, Too. (NYT)

(May 3 – May 9, 2022)

Senate of Canada

• [PRIVACY] Bill S-7, An Act to amend the Customs Act and the Preclearance Act, 2016 (Hansard transcript: Second Reading)

House of Commons

• [BROADCAST REGULATION] Bill C-11, Online Streaming Act (Hansard transcript: Second Reading)
• [PRIVACY] Report: House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics: Collection and use of mobility data by the government of Canada and related issues

Competition Bureau 

• Competition Bureau seeks full block of Rogers’ proposed acquisition of Shaw

Canadian Heritage

• Government of Canada celebrates Asian Heritage Month at the National Arts Centre
• Government of Canada leads its fifth creative industries trade mission, focusing on Europe
• Four independent organizations will provide COVID-19 transitional support to self-employed cultural workers in the live performing arts sector

Global Affairs

• Canada strengthens diversity of online French content 

Innovation, Science and Economic Development

• Government of Canada invests over $5.3 million to bring high-speed Internet access to 1,662 households in Ontario

Office of the Privacy Commissioner

• Backgrounder: Legal opinion on constitutional validity of OPC proposed amendments to former Bill C-11 
• Key recommendations for a new federal private sector privacy law
• Statement from the Privacy Commissioner following release of ETHI report into the government’s collection and use of mobility data

CRTC

    Decisions

·         2022-124 – Dufferin Communications Inc. – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Application to change the authorized contours of the English-language radio station CFJL-FM Winnipeg

·         2022-123 – Dufferin Communications Inc. – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Application to change the authorized contours of the English-language radio station CHWE-FM Winnipeg

·         2022-122 – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Saguenay and Chibougamau, Quebec – Application to change the authorized contours of CBJ-FM-1 Chibougamau, a rebroadcasting transmitter of the French-language radio programming undertaking CBJ-FM Saguenay

·         2022-121 – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Québec and Chibougamau, Quebec – Application to change the authorized contours of CBVC-FM Chibougamau (Radio One), a rebroadcasting transmitter of the English-language radio station CBVE-FM Québec

·         2022-115 – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Thunder Bay and Ear Falls, Ontario – Application to amend the broadcasting licence for the English-language radio station CBQT-FM Thunder Bay in order to operate a new transmitter in Ear Falls to rebroadcast the programming of the national English-language network service Radio One

Apple

• Apple, Google, and Microsoft commit to expanded support for FIDO standard to accelerate availability of passwordless sign‑ins

Microsoft

• Applications for artificial intelligence in Department of Defense cyber missions

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced today the list of appeals that will be delivered at 9:45 AM ET on Thursday, May 12, 2022. 
  • [BROADCASTING] Groupe TVA inc., et al. c. Bell Canada, et al. (C.F.) (Civile) (Autorisation) (39861)
  • [POLITICAL ADVERTISING] Rebel News Network Ltd. v. Election Commissioner of Alberta (Alta.) (Civil) (By Leave) (40025)
  • [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Merck Canada Inc. v. Minister of Health (F.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (40043)

Senate of Canada

Planned & Possible sitting days this week: The Senate meets all week.

Canadian House of Commons

Planned & Possible sitting days this week: The House meets all week.

• Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI)
  • May 9, 2022, 11 AM ET: Use and Impact of Facial Recognition Technology
• Foreign Affairs and International Development
  • May 9, 2022, 11:00 AM ET: Vaccine Equity and Intellectual Property Rights  
• Official Languages (LANG)
  • May 9, 2022, 3:30 PM ET: Government Measures to Protect and Promote French in Quebec and in Canada
• Canadian Heritage (CHPC) 
  • May 9, 2022, 3:30 PM ET: ​​Impact on Local News of Rogers Communications Inc.’s Takeover of Shaw Communications
• Public Safety and National Security (SECU)
  • May 10, 2022, 11:00 AM ET: Rise of Ideologically Motivated Violent Extremism in Canada
• Official Languages (LANG)
  • May 11, 2022, 3:30 PM ET: Government Measures to Protect and Promote French in Quebec and in Canada

CRTC

The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the week of 9 TO 13 May 2022. This is subject to change without notice.

Broadcasting Decisions:

Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta
CJWE-FM Calgary – New transmitter in Lethbridge
Public record: 2021-0699-7

Dufferin Communications Inc.
CHWE-FM Winnipeg – Technical changes
Public record: 2022-0109-4

Dufferin Communications Inc.
CFJL-FM Winnipeg – Technical changes
Public record: 2022-0111-9

11733630 Canada Inc.
CHOC-FM Saint-Raymond-de-Portneuf – New transmitter in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures
Public record: 2022-0001-0

Upcoming hearings

• May 12, 2022: Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2022-62 (broadcasting licence application)

Public Consultations

• CRTC: Video Relay Service Review (Mar 11, 2021-May 16, 2022)
• CRTC: Call for comments – Introduction of a three-digit abbreviated dialing code for mental health crisis and suicide prevention services (Nov 30, 2021 to Jan 31, 2022) (Mar 29, 2022 to Apr 30, 2022)
• Canadian Heritage: Be Part of the National Action Plan on Combatting Hate (Complete online questionnaire by May 8, 2022.)
• Canadian Intellectual Property Office fee adjustment (Mar 31, 2022 to Apr 29, 2022)
• Proposed requirements respecting police record checks for individuals involved in the provision of services governed by the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 and the Intercountry Adoption Act, 1998. Comments due: May 4, 2022                  
• CBC/Radio-Canada engaging with Indigenous communities across Canada about better reflecting Indigenous cultures (April 26 – September 27, 2022)

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings 
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Public consultations

• Stakeholder engagement on fair revenue sharing between digital platforms and news media: Closed Consultation 
• Canadian Intellectual Property Office fee adjustment (Open – Accepting Input)
• Proposed requirements respecting police record checks for individuals involved in the provision of services governed by the Child, Youth and Family Services Act, 2017 and the Intercountry Adoption Act, 1998.

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