Weekly Newsletter for April 4, 2023

Weekly News (April 4, 2023)

Compiled by Brad McNeil, Kyle Wyndham-West, and Beatrice Sunderland, with Sara Bannerman  and Fenwick McKelvey

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(March 28 – April 03, 2023)

Canadian News 

• [TELECOM OWNERSHIP] Ottawa gives final approval, with conditions, for Rogers’ $26B purchase of Shaw (Toronto Star) / [MEDIA OWNERSHIP/REGULATION] Rogers autorisé à acquérir Shaw (Le Devoir)
• [BROADCAST REGULATION] Pierre Poilievre accuses Liberals of censoring debate on Bill C-11 (The Globe and Mail) 
• [BROADCASTING POLICY/C-11] Les libéraux écourtent le temps de débat, le projet renvoyé au Sénat (La Presse)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION]Porn sites would have to verify users are over 18 under federal online safety plans (The Globe and Mail)  
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS OWNERSHIP] Quebecor will move ‘quickly’ to bring down wireless prices for Freedom Mobile customers, CEO says (The Globe and Mail)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] QS réclame à son tour une commission parlementaire sur l’intelligence artificielle (La Presse)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS FUNDING] Ottawa leaves $1.5-billion in connectivity funding on the table (The Globe and Mail) 
• [BROADBAND] Ottawa’s slow rollout of internet to First Nations creating economic rift, Auditor-General says (The Globe and Mail)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Six mois pour transmettre un document (La Presse)
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] Pierre Poilievre a refusé de rencontrer la PDG de CBC/Radio-Canada (La Presse)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/PRIVACY] UBC encourages students to uninstall TikTok app, citing ‘unproven’ security risks (The Globe and Mail) 
• [TELECOM OWNERSHIP] Will the Rogers-Shaw merger mean lower cellphone bills? Industry watchers are skeptical (Financial Post)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Le Canada et l’Europe dans une course pour dompter l’IA (Le Devoir)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] How AI is changing the jobs of call centre workers (The Globe and Mail) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY/ANTITRUST] Opinion: Steven Globerman: Fighting Rogers-Shaw was part of a misguided crusade by Competition Bureau (The Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE NEWS BILL/BILL C-18] Opinion: Lawrence Gibbons: Bill C-18 would ensure big tech companies pay for use of Canadian journalism (Toronto Star) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Opinion: Andrew Willis Promises and penalties: consumers finally have a seat at the telecom table (The Globe and Mail) 

International News

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Elon Musk, Other AI Experts Call for Pause in Technology’s Development (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PRIVACY] ChatGPT Is Banned in Italy Over Privacy Concerns (The New York Times) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] ‘Vulkan files’ leak reveals Putin’s global and domestic cyberwarfare tactics (The Guardian) 
• [DEFAMATION] Dominion’s historic defamation case against Fox News will go to trial, judge rules, in major decision dismantling key Fox defenses (CNN)
• [FREEDOM OF THE PRESS/PRESS PROTECTIONS] Right-Wing Media Splits From DeSantis on Press Protections (The New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Washington’s TikTok tribes, explained (The Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] At hearing, lawmakers asserted lots about TikTok. Much of it was wrong. (The Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] US court sanctions Google in privacy case, company’s second legal setback in days (Reuters) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION]  Elon Musk Tried to Meet With F.T.C. Chair About Twitter but Was Rebuffed  (The New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/CONTENT MODERATION] Twitter Shares Some of the Secret Sauce Behind How It Works (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/PRIVACY] Meta to Let Users Opt Out of Some Targeted Ads, but Only in Europe (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Meta rolls out long-sought tools to separate ads from harmful content (Reuters) 
• [PRIVACY LEGISLATION] The U.S.’s sixth state privacy law is too ‘weak,’ advocates say ; Iowa’s measure risks lowering the bar in the debate, one advocate said.  (The Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PRIVACY] Microsoft Patched Bing Vulnerability That Allowed Snooping on Email and Other Data (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PRIVACY] Prince Harry, Elton John appear at UK court in privacy lawsuit (Reuters) 
• [DEFAMATION] Newly fired Fox News producer seeks to recant testimony in $1.6 bln Dominion lawsuit (Reuters)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] As AI booms, tech firms are laying off their ethicists (The Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion: Farhad Manjoo: There’s a Much Smarter Way to Take On TikTok  (The New York Times) 

(March 28 – April 03, 2023)

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that judgment in the following leave applications will be delivered at 9:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday, March 30, 2023. This list is subject to change.
  • Overstory Media Inc., Camilo Ruiz v. Attorney General of British Columbia, Attorney General of Canada (B.C.) (Criminal) (By Leave)
    • (Publication ban in case)
    • Criminal law — Publication bans — Open court principle — Risk to proper administration of justice — Disclosure — Whether the “chilling” effect that the publication of embarrassing disclosure materials might have upon future disclosure is a serious risk to the proper administration of justice.             
  • Guy F. Therrien v. Chief Electoral Officer of Quebec
    • (Que.) (Civil) (By Leave)
    • Elections — Election publicity — Prohibition period — Paid partisan publicity posted on social network during prohibition period — Whether Quebec Court of Appeal erred in holding that offence under ss. 429 and 564.2 of Election Act may be committed through Facebook social network — Election Act, CQLR, c. E-3.3, s. 429, 564.2.

CRTC

• Broadcasting information bulletin 2023-101
  [2023-03-31 11:00:00]
  Guidelines for all licensees of broadcasting undertakings serving the province of Prince Edward Island – Provincial election

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• OPC launches investigation into ChatGPT

Twitter

• A new era of transparency for Twitter

Google

• Protecting and advancing democracy online

Senate of Canada

• Planned and Possible Sitting Days: The Senate will not sit this week. The next planned sitting day is April 18, 2023. 

House of Commons

• Planned and Possible Sitting Days: The House of Commons will not sit this week. The next planned  sitting date is April 17, 2023.

CRTC

• Anticipated releases for the week of 3 to 7 April 2023: The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the week of 3 to 7 April 2023. This is subject to change without notice.

• Upcoming Hearing:
• April 17, 2023 – Whitehorse, Yukon: Call for comments – Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II – Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2022-147, 2022-147-1, 2022-147-2 View hearing documents (2022-147)

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Public Consultations:

• CRTC
  • Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-39 – Call for comments – Development of a regulatory framework to improve network reliability and resiliency – Mandatory notification and reporting about major telecommunications service outages  
  • Share your comments on the review of the Broadband fund (start date March 23, 2023 to July 21, 2023) 
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
  • Consultation on the future of competition policy in Canada (November 17, 2022 to March 31, 2023) 
  • Strategic Intellectual Property Program Review (November 15, 2022 to March 31, 2023) 
  • Consultation on the Spectrum Licence Renewal Process for Wireless Communication Services (WCS) Licences (January 31, 2023 to March 14, 2023)  
  • Consultation on Amending CPC-2-0-20 — Radio Frequency (RF) Fields – Signs and Access Control (January 31, 2023 to March 20, 2023) 
  • Consultation on the Spectrum Licence Renewal Process for Wireless Communication Services (WCS) Licences (January 31, 2023 to March 14, 2023) 

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

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