Weekly News (October 12th, 2021)

Compiled by Brad McNeil, Kyle Wyndham-West, Meaghan Wester, and Nick Gertler with Sara Bannerman  and Fenwick McKelvey

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.

(October 4 – October 11, 2021)

Canadian News 

• [BROADCAST POLICY/Bill C-11] Movie studios warn Bill C-11 could skew platforms’ film and TV menus (GLobe & Mail)
• [BROADCAST POLICY/Bill C-11] Heritage minister, Google clash over online streaming bill (CTV News) 
• [BROADCAST POLICY/Bill C-11] Loi sur les géants du web : Google et YouTube tentent « d’intimider » les Canadiens, selon Rodriguez (La Presse)
• [BROADCAST POLICY/Bill C-11] ‘Your YouTube’: Google begins public push against Liberal’s online streaming bill (National Post)   
• [BROADCAST POLICY/Bill C-11] Should you be forced to encounter Canadian content on Netflix or YouTube? Online creators fear the worst of new bill (Toronto Star)   
• [BROADCAST POLICY/Bill C-11] What makes a Canadian film actually Canadian? Netflix and Disney have curious answers (Globe and Mail)  
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/ONLINE NEWS/Bill C-18] Google and Facebook could fund 30% of cost of news in Canada: budget watchdog (National Post) / Projet de loi sur les géants du web : Le Directeur parlementaire du budget croit que les médias pourront récolter 330 millions (La Presse)
• [COMPETITION/BILL C-18] Local news publishers join forces for ‘one-stop shop’ in bid to raise ad revenue (Globe & Mail) 
• [PRIVACY/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] MPs call for ‘national pause’ on use of facial recognition, particularly by police (National Post) / Des députés fédéraux inquiets de la reconnaissance faciale (Le Devoir)
• [BROADCAST POLICY/MANDATORY CARRIAGE] Liberal supported TV application despite conflict-of-interest guideline (CTV News)  
• [COMPETITION/TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Canada’s merger laws let companies ‘extinguish competitive threats,’ new report says (Global News)  
• [PRIVACY] Ontario’s electronic monitoring legislation must enhance privacy rights for employees, experts say (Globe & Mail)
• [BROADCAST POLICY] Diversity Minister condemns CRTC for not severing ties with consultant under fire for tweets (Globe & Mail)  
• [NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY] Four Atlantic Canada newspapers will end their Monday print editions (CBC) 
• [BROADCAST POLICY] CRTC faces call to sever ties with consultant at centre of ‘vile’ tweets scandal (Globe & Mail) 
• [TRADEMARK] Veterans, legion butt heads over use of poppy on election signs (Toronto Star) 
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Ottawa spent $90-million in 2021 on strained access-to-information program (Globe & Mail)  
• [FREEDOM OF INFORMATION] It’s bad enough Toronto feels broken, lack of transparency makes it tough to fix things (Toronto Star) 
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] OPINION: How your right to know is getting stymied by the Denial Machine (Globe & Mail)
• [PRIVACY/BILL C-27] OPINION: Proposed data privacy law favour industry over individuals (Toronto Star) 

International News

• [PRIVACY] Biden signs order to implement EU-U.S. data privacy framework (Reuters)  
• [PRIVACY] New U.S. Privacy Protections Help Companies Struggling With Legal Limbo In Europe (Wall Street Journal)   
• [ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS/CONTENT MODERATION] Big Tech accused of failing to tackle U.S. midterm ‘lies’ (Reuters) 
• [ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS/SPAM/PRIVACY]  Google opens the door to political spam in inboxes  (Washington Post) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION] India’s Tech Regulation Onslaught Poses Dilemma for U.S. Companies (Wall Street Journal)  
• [CONTENT MODERATION] Kanye’s antisemitic tweet could be a preview of social media’s future ; Taking down the rapper’s bigoted posts was an easy call for Twitter and Instagram. That could change if Elon Musk and some GOP leaders have their way. (Washington Post)  
• [CONTENT MODERATION] Spotify acquires firm that detects harmful content (Reuters) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION] How social media ‘censorship’ became a front line in the culture war (Washington Post)  
• [DISINFORMATION/CENSORSHIP] Turkey’s parliament debates Erdogan’s media ‘disinformation’ bill (Reuters) 
• [PRIVACY] Politics are a problem in spyware investigation, committee chairman says ; A report from the European committee is due Nov. 8. (Washington Post)  
• [PRIVACY] Australia unveils privacy rule changes after Optus data breach (Reuters) 
• [PRIVACY] Two Australian regulators open investigations into Optus after data breach (Reuters)  
• [PRIVACY] Google to Pay $85 Million to Settle Arizona User-Tracking Suit (Wall Street Journal)  
• [PRIVACY] Your boss can monitor your activities without special software (Yahoo News) 
• [PRIVACY/DATA BREACH] Former Uber Security Chief Found Guilty of Hiding Hack From Authorities (New York Times) 
• [PRIVACY/CYBERSECURITY] Election Software Executive Arrested on Suspicion of Theft (New York Times) 
• [DISINFORMATION/ALT SOCIAL MEDIA] News on Fringe Social Sites Draws Limited but Loyal Fans, Report Finds (New York Times) 
• [CENSORSHIP] OPINION: Censorship Is a Consumer Harm (Wall Street Journal)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: In the Battle With Robots, Human Workers Are Winning (New York Times)  
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: Blame Lockdowns on Silicon Valley Without technology to keep the economy from imploding, they wouldn’t have lasted. (Wall Street Journal) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION] OPINION: Musk would be running a company he doesn’t want (Washington Post)  
• [CONTENT MODERATION] OPINION: Big Tech Should Support the Iranian People, Not the Regime (New York Times) 

(October 11 – October 17, 2021)

Senate of Canada

• ANTI-MUSLIM HATE: SENATORS MEET WITH MUSLIM COMMUNITIES AS ATTACKS RISE

Office of the Privacy Commissioner

• New privacy Tech-know blog: A look at synthetic data
• Statement from the Privacy Commissioner following release of ETHI report on facial recognition technology

CRTC

• Telecom order 2022-277
  [2022-10-11 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves the following tariff application: Videotron Ltd., TN 60
• Telecom order 2022-276
  [2022-10-11 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc., TN 1163
• Telecom order 2022-275
  [2022-10-11 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc., TN 1162
• Telecom order 2022-274
  [2022-10-11 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc., TN 1161
• Compliance and Enforcement and Telecom decision 2022-170-1
  [2022-10-11 11:00:00]
  Development of a network-level blocking framework to limit botnet traffic and strengthen Canadians’ online safety – Correction to the decision – Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0009

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: No sitting days this week; sittings resume Oct 17

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: No sitting days this week; sittings resume Oct 17

CRTC 

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the week of 11 to 14 October 2022. This is subject to change without notice.

Broadcasting Decisions:

• WONation Radio Inc.
  Wauzhushk Onigum Nation, District of Kenora, Ontario
  Low-power, Indigenous FM radio station in Wauzhushk Onigum Nation, district of Kenora
  Public record: 2021-0830-8
• United Christian Broadcasters Media Canada
  British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario
  Specialty (religious music) FM radio stations in Kelowna and its transmitter in Kamloops; in Saskatoon and in Scarborough
  Public record: 2022-0119-3

Telecom Decision:

• SDI Telecom (SDI) – Application to order Bell Canada and Rogers Communications Canada Inc. to pay SDI’s outstanding invoices and for the Commission to implement flat-rate compensation for toll-free calls made from pay telephones
  Public record: 8650-S191-202107656

Public Consultations: 

• CRTC:

• Canadians invited to share their views on application to raise basic TV package rate (October 28, 2022)
• Application to add Natyf TV and Uvagut TV to basic television packages (September 21, 2022-November 7, 2022)
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada:
  1. Consultation on New Access Licensing Framework, Changes to Subordinate Licensing and White Space to Support Rural and Remote Deployment (October 12, 2021)
  2. Consultation on Updates to the Licensing and Fee Framework for Earth Stations and Space Stations in Canada (reply comments due November 8, 2021)

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

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