Weekly Newsletter for September 12, 2023

Weekly News (September 12, 2023)

Compiled by Brad McNeil and Ian Steinberg with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(September 6 – September 12, 2023)

Canadian News 

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Federal government issues new rules for public servants using AI (CBC)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] TikTok partnerships plentiful in Canada amid bans, foreign interference accusations (Globe and Mail) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/INTERNET POLICY] Germany prepares to pull Canadian porn sites over refusal to verify viewers are over 18 (Globe and Mail) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] Cybersecurity bill languishes in Ottawa while attacks escalate (Globe and Mail)
•  [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Civil liberties group files court challenge of ‘harmful’ N.B. gender policy (Canadian Press)
•  [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] A timeline of key developments in the road to TTC wireless access (Canadian Press)
•  [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Rogers ordered to open TTC wireless network to all carriers by Oct 3: Minister (Canadian Press)
•   [PUBLIC BROADCASTING/ONLINE NEWS ACT] CBC stands to get largest share of cash from Online News Act, experts say (Globe and Mail)
•  [PUBLIC BROADCASTING/ONLINE STREAMING ACT] The great Bill C-11 television revolution that no streaming service wants to talk about (Globe and Mail)
•   [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Crown shows convoy organizer’s TikTok in court, with hours of social media posts submitted as evidence (Globe and Mail)
•  [PRIVACY] Canadian researchers discover spyware infecting iPhones without users ever clicking on anything (Toronto Star)
•  [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Only four per cent of businesses in Canada report using artificial intelligence (AI): TMU study (Toronto Star)
• [PRIVACY] Nearly Half (49%) of Surveyed Canadians Said They Were Recently Targeted by Fraud; Around 1 in 20 Digital Transactions in Canada (Financial Post)
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: Owen Chevalier : Your iPhone will soon be able to track your mental health with iOS 17, but what are the implications for your well-being? (The Conversation)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] OPINION: Linda McQuaig: Public should own digital system (Toronto Star)

International News

• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] Google’s search engine dominance is at the center of the biggest US antitrust trial in decades (Associated Press)
•  [PLATFORM REGULATION] EU digital crackdown targets Big Tech (Associated Press)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] China suspected of using AI on social media to sway US voters, Microsoft says (Reuters)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Chinese Propagandists Set Up Shop on Fringe Social-Media Site, Researchers Say (WSJ)

• [PRIVACY] UK ministers seek to allay WhatsApp and Signal concerns in encryption row (Guardian)
• [DEFAMATION] Trump found liable for defamation as writer wins 2nd lawsuit (Associated Press)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Broadband for All Comes With Some Sky-High Costs (WSJ)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Britain sets priorities for November global AI safety summit (Reuters)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] In Iran, snap checkpoints and university purges mark the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini protests (Associated Press)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] AI used to alter imagery or sounds in political ads will require prominent disclosure on Google (Associated Press)
• [CENSORSHIP] Artists want complete control over their public exhibitions. Governments say it’s not that simple (Associated Press)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Amazon to require some authors to disclose the use of AI material (Associated Press)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Artificial intelligence technology behind ChatGPT was built in Iowa — with a lot of water (Associated Press)
• [DEFAMATION] Elon Musk reaches a new low by targeting the Anti-Defamation League; Our primary platform for information sharing has become a breeding ground for antisemitism and lies, amplified by the site’s owner (Globe and Mail)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Global group of media organizations releases principles for AI development (Toronto Star)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Musk’s Impulses Remake Twitter — Favors for friends such as Kanye West follow his takeover of platform now called X (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Consumers can do little to stop their Gmail, Instagram from training AI (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Carmakers fail privacy test, give owners little or no control on personal data they collect (Associated Press)

(September 6 – September 12, 2023)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Minister Champagne announces wireless service will soon be available to all Toronto subway riders 
• Governments of Canada and British Columbia invest over $58 million to bring high-speed Internet to over 5,400 households 

Democratic Institutions

• Government of Canada launches public inquiry into foreign interference

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 

• Ellen Desmond to the annual conference of the Canadian Communication Systems Alliance (CCSA) 

Broadcasting and Telecoms:

o    Telecom notice of consultation 2023-39-1 [2023-09-11 11:00:00]
Call for comments – Development of a regulatory framework to improve network reliability and resiliency – Mandatory notification and reporting about major telecommunications service outages – Changes to procedure – Public record: 1011-NOC2023-0039

o    Telecom decision 2023-314 [2023-09-11 11:00:00]
Bell Canada and Quebecor Media Inc. – Applications regarding fees for enhanced 9-1-1 and next generation 9-1-1 services – Public record: 8661-B2-202209923

o    Telecom order 2023-313 [2023-09-11 11:00:00]
Bragg Communications Inc., carrying on business as Eastlink, on behalf of Amtelecom Limited Partnership and People’s Tel Limited Partnership – Withdrawal of general tariffs – Public records : Tariff Notices 86 and 94

o    Broadcasting information bulletin 2023-312 [2023-09-08 11:00:00]
Guidelines for all licensees of broadcasting undertakings serving the province of Manitoba – Provincial election

o    Telecom order 2023-311 [2023-09-08 11:00:00]
Broadband Fund – Change request – ATG Arrow Technology Group Limited Partnership’s access projects in Alberta (Peerless Trout First Nation and Little Red River Cree Nation) – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372

o    Telecom order 2023-310 [2023-09-08 11:00:00]
Broadband Fund – Acceptance of statement of work for Bell Mobility Inc.’s mobile project in Quebec (Route 167) – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372

o    Broadcasting decision 2023-309 [2023-09-08 11:00:00]
Four Senses Entertainment Inc. – Squamish, British Columbia – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language commercial FM radio station in Squamish

o    Broadcasting decision 2023-308 [2023-09-05 11:00:00]
Bell Canada; Cogeco Communications Inc.; Bragg Communications Incorporated, carrying on business as Eastlink; and Saskatchewan Telecommunications – Across Canada – Application to increase the maximum retail price of the basic service from $25 to $28 per month and to implement a yearly indexing mechanism for inflation

o    Broadcasting order 2023-307 [2023-09-05 11:00:00]
Exemption order respecting discretionary television programming undertakings serving fewer than 200,000 subscribers

o    Broadcasting regulatory policy 2023-306 [2023-09-05 11:00:00]
Standard conditions of service for licensed discretionary services, national news discretionary services and mainstream sports discretionary services, and exemption order for exempt discretionary services – Modifications to the advertising time limit requirement

o    Broadcasting decision 2023-305 [2023-09-01 11:00:00]
8384827 Canada Inc. – Toronto, Mississauga and North York, Ontario – Applications to amend the broadcasting licence of the English-language commercial radio station CFXJ-FM Toronto

Google 

• Building for compliance with the Digital Markets Act 

Amazon

• Telecom companies can use satellite connectivity from Project Kuiper to extend their service areas, scale for major events, and quickly recover after disasters. 

Meta

• Raising Online Defenses Through Transparency and Collaboration 

X (formerly Twitter):

• Our ongoing commitment to combat antisemitism on X 

Microsoft

• China, North Korea pursue new targets while honing cyber capabilities  
• Microsoft announces new Copilot Copyright Commitment for customers 

Senate of Canada

• Planned and Possible Sitting Days: The Senate will not sit during the week September 11 to 15, 2023. The Senate is adjourned until September 19, 2023.

House of Commons

• Planned and Possible Sitting Days: the House of Commons will not sit during the week of September 11 to 15, 2023. The House is adjourned until Monday, September 18, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. (EDT). 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of 11 to 15 September 2023: 
  • Broadcasting Decisions:
    • Applications by various licensees to renew the broadcasting licences for television stations
  • Telecom Decision: 
    • Community Fibre Company Inc. – Application for consent to place a new pole, strand, and anchors in Franktown, Ontario, part of Beckwith Township

Public record: 8690-C304-202208529

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
  • Call for comments – Proposed new Broadcasting Fees Regulations – Deadline: 22 September 2023
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

CRTC

·         Call for comments – Proposed new Broadcasting Fees Regulations – Deadline: 22 September 2023

Canadian Heritage

·         Regulations Respecting the Application of the Online News Act, the Duty to Notify and the Request for Exemptions: 30-day consultation – open to October 2, 2023 (Canada Gazette)

·         Engagement sessions with Canadian book publishers and book industry stakeholders – Planned: May 30, 2023 to Sept 29, 2023 

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

·         Consultation on amendments to the Patent Rules – Planned: Aug 7, 2023 to Sept 8, 2023 

·         Development of a Canadian code of practice for generative AI – Open: Aug 4, 2023 to Sept 14, 2023

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat:

·         Creating Canada’s 6th National Action Plan on Open Government – Planned: Sept 1, 2023 to Oct 31, 2023

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