Weekly Newsletter: August 30, 2022

Weekly News (August 30, 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.

(August 23 – August 29, 2022)

Canadian News 

·         [TELECOM POLICY] Rogers redacts details around network outage in new reply to CRTC(Globe and Mail)

·         [TELECOM GOVERNANCE] Rogers dépensera 261 millions pour diviser les réseaux (La Presse)

·         [COMPETITION/TELECOM POLICY] Rogers, Shaw push back on regulator’s concerns, say Freedom Mobile deal should allay competition fears (Globe and Mail) 

·         [CRTC/CONFLICT OF INTEREST] Head of federal telecom regulator did not breach Conflict of Interest Act: watchdog (National Post)

·         [FACIAL RECOGNITION] Use of facial recognition as security tool on Parliament Hill would pose risks: study (National Post)

·         [BROADCASTING GOVERNANCE] CTV executive Michael Melling taking a leave after Lisa LaFlamme’s dismissal (Globe and Mail)

·         [ONLINE HARMS] Chrystia Freeland latest target of public threats, intimidation against women in Canadian politics (CBC)

·         [PATENT] Blackberry’s US$600-million patent sale in doubt as Canadian-led lending syndicate bails (Globe and Mail)

·         [PRIVACY] How Calgary police are cracking sexual-assault cases with DNA banks (Globe and Mail)

·         [CYBERSECURITY] Few fear cyber threats, poll finds (National Post)

·         [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Opinion: Harris: The future of malicious artificial intelligence applications is here (Toronto Star)

·         [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Opinion: Conte: Canada continues to censor internal interviews on review of Afghan war (Toronto Star)

·         [FREE EXPRESSION] Opinion: Brown Journalism has its supporters and critics. This is a sign that a free press still exists. (Globe and Mail)

·         [BROADCASTING POLICY/ANTI-RACISM] Opinion: Sarkonak: ‘Anti-racist’ find of antisemetic tweets had sway at the CBC (National Post)

·         [ONLINE ACTIVISM] Opinion: Jeppesen: ‘Digilantism,’ ‘hackbacks’ and mutual aid are used by online activists to fight trolls (The Conversation)

International News

·         [PRIVACY] FTC Sues Idaho Company for Selling Senisitive Tracking Data (WSJ)

·         [PRIVACY] Facebook Parent Meta Agrees to Settle Cambridge Analytica Lawsuit (WSJ)

·         [PRIVACY/ONLINE HARMS] FTC’s newest member wants to scrutinize how tech may harm kids (Washington Post)

·         [PRIVACY] Sephora Agrees to $1.2 Million Settlement of Data Charges (WSJ)

·         [PRIVACY] Twitter Whistleblower Peiter Zatko Has Warned of Cyber Disasters for Decades (WSJ)

·         [PRIVACY] Vanessa Bryant Wins $16 Million Verdict in Lawsuit Over Kobe Bryant Crash Photos (WSJ)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Facebook. Twitter dismantle a U.S. influence campaign about Ukraine (Washington Post)

·         [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Facebook gave 13 newsworthy exemptions to politicians in the past year (Washington Post)

·         [CONTENT MODERATION] Why Social Media Sites Are Removing Andrew Tate’s Accounts(NYT)

·         [COMPETITION POLICY] Meta’s Latest Antitrust Headache Is in India (WSJ)

·         [DEFAMATION] Lachlan Murdoch sues Australian news site for defamation (Reuters)

(August 23 – August 29, 2022)

Canadian Heritage

Innovation, Science and Economic Development

Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner 

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner

Copyright Board

Microsoft 

Amazon

Meta

CRTC
Decisions

  • 2022-231 – Christian Hit Radio Inc. – Ottawa, Ontario and Pointe-Claire, Quebec – Application to operate an FM transmitter in Pointe-Claire, to rebroadcast the programming of the English-language commercial specialty (religious) radio station CHRI-FM Ottawa
  • 2022-226 – Findings regarding market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Winnipeg – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0411
  • 2022-225 – Findings regarding market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Lunenburg County – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0412

Supreme Court of Canada

The Supreme Court of Canada announced that judgement in the following leave applications will be delivered at 9:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday, September 1, 2022. This list is subject to change.

  • [DEFAMATION] Marcel Chartier v. Serge Bibeau (Man.) (Civil) (By Leave) (40083)

Senate of Canada

  • No further sitting days this week; next sitting day: September 20, 2022

Canadian House of Commons

  • No further sitting days this week; next sitting day: September 19, 2022

CRTC

The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions/regulatory policies in the week of 29 August to 2 September 2022. This is subject to change without notice.

  • Introduction of 9-8-8 as the three-digit abbreviated dialing code for mental health crisis and suicide prevention services and Northwestel Inc.’s application for modified implementation of ten-digit local dialing
    Public records: 011-NOC2021-0191 and 8698-N1-202201557

Public Consultations

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