Weekly Newsletter for November 28, 2023

Weekly News (November 28, 2023)

Compiled by Ian Steinberg with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(November 22 – 28, 2023)

Canadian News 

• [CYBERSECURITY] Feds aimed secret cybersecurity briefing at energy sector executives: memo (Globe and Mail)
• [ONLINE STREAMING ACT] APTN says funds needed from online streaming giants to help promote Indigenous voices (Globe and Mail)
• [ONLINE STREAMING ACT] ‘Your priorities are backwards,’ Bell tells CRTC during Online Streaming Act hearing (CTV)
• [OPEN BANKING] Canada’s open banking plan will rely on a new government-led body to monitor system (Globe and Mail)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Researcher fights Quebec coroner to see forensics collection shown in museums (Globe and Mail)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Lich, Barber begin defence in convoy trial (CBC)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Court victory for teacher silenced for transgender-book criticism (National Post)
• [JOURNALISM] Fall economic statement includes $129-million for news organizations (Globe and Mail)
• [BROADCAST RADIO] Change in the air for radio landscape (Hamilton Spectator)
• [BROADBAND/OPINION] Opinion: CRTC price controls threaten telecom speed and service (Financial Post)
• [ONLINE NEWS ACT/OPINION] Opinion: On Bill C-18, Canada has a clear choice: flourish like Australia or flounder like Spain (Globe and Mail)
• [RIGHT TO REPAIR/OPINION] Opinion: The Right to Repair needs to extend to software, too (Globe and Mail)
• [AI SAFETY/OPINION] Opinion: Social media’s dark side took years to emerge. AI will be worse, unless we act now (Globe and Mail)

International News

• [PRIVACY/PLATFORM REGULATION] Meta Platforms’ paid ad-free service targeted in Austrian privacy complaint (Reuters)
• [AI GOVERNANCE] US, Britain, other countries ink agreement to make AI ‘secure by design’ (Reuters)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/DEEPFAKES] India warns Facebook, YouTube to enforce rules to deter deepfakes (Reuters) 
• [AI REGULATION/PRIVACY] Italy’s privacy regulator looks into online data gathering to train AI (Reuters)
• [CENSORSHIP] Mexico cancels conference on 1960s and 1970s rights violations raising claims of censorship (AP)
• [CENSORSHIP] Russia puts the spokesman for Facebook owner Meta on a wanted list (ABC News)
• [PRIVACY] FTC notches legal win in privacy fight with Meta (Washington Post)
• [MILITARY AI] Pentagon’s AI initiatives accelerate hard decisions on lethal autonomous weapons (AP)
• [CYBERSECURITY/AI] Inside U.S. Efforts to Untangle an A.I. Giant’s Ties to China (New York Times)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Cyberattack on Kansas Courts Leaves Lawyers Filing ‘Everything by Fax’ (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/CHILDREN] At Meta, Millions of Underage Users Were an ‘Open Secret,’ States Say (New York Times)
• [DEFAMATION] Celebrities, politicians among those named in sex abuse suits filed under NY’s Adult Survivors Act (AP)
• [PRIVACY] California can share gun owners’ personal information with researchers, appeals court rules (AP)
• [AI GOVERNANCE/OPINION] Opinion: A.I. Belongs to the Capitalists Now (New York Times)
• [AI GOVERNANCE/OPINION] Opinion: The Unsettling Lesson of the OpenAI Mess (New York Times)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/PRIVACY/OPINION] Opinion: How the Biden Administration Took the Pen Away From Meta, Google and Amazon (New York Times)

(November 22 – 28, 2023)

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 

• Vicky Eatrides to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage
• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Broadcasting decision 2023-390
    [2023-11-27 11:00:00]
    Ontario French-language Educational Communications Authority – Province of Ontario – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the French-language satellite-to-cable educational television service TFO 
  • Telecom notice of consultation 2022-147-4
    [2023-11-24 11:00:00]
    Notice of hearing – Call for comments – Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II – Changes to procedure – Public records: 8622-S93-202008482, 1011-NOC2020-0367 and 1011-NOC2022-0147

Communications Security Establishment Canada

• Shoppers, beware of cyber scams this Black Friday and Cyber Monday, federal partners warn

House of Commons Canada [HUMA] 

• House of Commons Committee Invites the Public to Submit Written Briefs for Its Study on the Implications of Artificial Intelligence on the Labour Force

Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada 

• Coming to Terms with Missed Opportunities and Charting a New Path for Access to Information

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Privacy Tech-Know blog: Unlocking the secrets of quantum computing and the future of encryption
• Privacy Commissioner initiates investigations into breach impacting federal government personnel who used relocation services

Amazon

• 5 ways Amazon is using AI to improve your holiday shopping and deliver your package faster

Meta

• New Tools to Support Independent Research

TikTok

• Advancing Our Commitment to Sustainability and Climate Literacy At COP28

Supreme Court of Canada 

• [POLICE INFORMER PRIVILEGE] Scheduled Hearing: 2023-12-12 to 2023-12-13 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, et al. v. His Majesty the King, et al. (Quebec) (Criminal) (By Leave) 40371

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days: November 28 to 30, 2023

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  November 27 to December 1, 2023
  • [ETHI]  Social Media and Foreign Entities – November 27, 2023 3:30 to 5:30 PM
  • [CHPC] Tech Giants’ Use of Intimidation Tactics – November 28, 2023 11:00 am to 1:00 PM
  • [INDU] Bill C-27 – November 28, 2023 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of November 27 to December 1, 2023: 
  • Broadcasting Decisions:
    • Applications by various licensees to renew the broadcasting licences for television stations
• Upcoming Hearings
  • CRTC Hearing – Phase 1 – Contributions to the Canadian Broadcasting system – November 20 to December 8, 2023
  • We are examining what contributions traditional broadcasters and online services need to make to support Canadian and Indigenous content.

Public hearing: November 20 to December 8, 2023.

Read the agenda

View hearing documents (2023-138)

• February 12, 2024 – Gatineau, Quebec

Notice of hearing – Review of the wholesale high-speed access service framework – Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-56, 2023-56-1, 2023-56-2, and 2023-56-3.

View hearing documents (2023-56)

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

Canadian Heritage

• Arts Market Survey – December 7, 2023

CRTC

• Telecom
  • Consultation on telecommunications services in the Far North – Oct 13, 2023 to Nov 29, 2023
  • Telecom notice of consultation 2022-147-3: Call for comments – Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II – Changes to procedure – Public records: 8622-S93-202008482, 1011-NOC2020-0367 and 1011-NOC2022-0147 

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Consultation on the Licence Renewal Process for the 24 GHz and 38 GHz Bands and Preliminary Consultation on Changes to the 24.25-26.5 GHz Band – Nov 17, 2023 to Dec 19, 2023
• Consultation on Copyright in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence – December 4, 2023
• Consultation on Amending CPC-2-0-20 — Radio Frequency (RF) Fields—Signs and Access Control – January 4, 2024

Statistics Canada:

• Census Data on Demand (CDOD) program consultative engagement – March 31, 2024

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