Weekly Newsletter for December 20, 2023 to January 16, 2024

Weekly News (January 16, 2024)

Compiled by Brad McNeil with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(December 20 – January 16, 2023)

Canadian News

December 20-26

• [COMPETITION] Matthew Boswell reappointed as head of Competition Bureau (Globe and Mail) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING/ONLINE NEWS ACT] CBC boss must reveal and justify decision on executive bonuses, minister says (Globe and Mail)
• [RIGHT TO REPAIR/COPYRIGHT] Why the Right to Repair Matters (Toronto Star) 
• [PRIVACY] Toronto Public Library service reductions projected to last months after ransomware attack (Globe and Mail)
• [ONLINE HARMS] ’SLAP IN THE FACE’: Images of Canadian child abuse victims training AI generators (Toronto Sun) 
• [MEDIA] Postmedia restructures debt to repay long-time lender Canso (Globe and Mail) 
• [COMPETITION] OPINION: EDITORIAL BOARD: An overhauled Competition Act will light a fire in the stolid world of Canadian business (Globe and Mail) 
• [INTERNET POLICY] OPINION: Katrina Miller: Canada’s Digital Services Tax’s time has finally come, marking a critical step in tax fairness  (Toronto Star) 

December 27-January 2

• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] St-Onge wants CBC role redefined before next election, possible change of government (Toronto Star)  
• [DEFAMATION] Ontario court rejects Facebook user’s attempt to throw out defamation suit for post labeling drag performers ‘groomers’ (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Ottawa joins worldwide push for ‘passport-less’ travel using facial recognition — but critics worry (National Post) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Canadian wireless carriers partnering with satellite operators to deliver direct-to-device service (Globe and Mail) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Lost nose ring, bad haircut, waiting for food among top 911 nuisance calls this year in B.C. (Global News) 
•  [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Connor Spelliscy: We should fear tech oligarchs, not artificial intelligence (Globe and Mail) 
• [MEDIA] OPINION: Brian Myles: Pour une réinvention responsable des médias  (Le Devior) 

January 3-9

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] AI-generated videos a growing threat to elections, Canadian head of cybersecurity warns (National Post) 
•  [TELECOMMUNICATIONS/INDUSTRY] Rogers to increase price of some wireless phone plans (CBC) 
•  [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE]Federal Court bans its judges from using AI in decisions in wake of U.S. controversy (Globe and Mail) 
• [PRIVACY]An Ontario entrepreneur says thieves stole about $785,000 in bitcoin after hacking his phone. Was it his carrier’s fault? (Toronto Star) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Peter MacLeod: How to set the CBC free from political interference  (Toronto Star) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Konrad Yakabuski: The Liberals are running out of time to Poilievre-proof the CBC  (Globe and Mail) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Matt Malone: Why is the federal government so inept in policing apps like TikTok? (Globe and Mail) 

January 10-16

• [LAWSUIT/PRIVACY] Meta offers Canadian Facebook users $51M to settle lawsuit in 4 provinces (CBC)
• [DEFAMATION] Sexual assault accusers not immune to defamation suit, B.C. court rules (Globe and Mail) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] MPs call for House study of Rogers, Bell plans to raise wireless prices (Globe and Mail) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Rogers Communications receives more complaints than other Canadian telecoms for first time in 15 years (Globe and Mail) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Ontario Invests $78 Million in Next Generation 9-1-1 Infrastructure for Enhanced Emergency Response (Penticton Herald)
• [HATE SPEECH] Toronto police lay hate-crime charge against protester over ‘terrorist’ flag (Globe and Mail) 
• [HARMFUL SPEECH] Ontario school boards grapple with use of the N-word in books (Toronto Star) 
• [HARMFUL SPEECH] Inside the crisis at TMU’s law school: It started with a letter of support for Palestinians. Now students and staff feel betrayed and donors are pulling out  (Toronto Star) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Conservatives say other parties blocking committee hearing on treatment of Rebel News personality by RCMP  (Globe and Mail) 
• [CENSORSHIP] OPINION: Susan Delacourt: Pierre Poilievre will defend the media — but only when it suits him (Toronto Star) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Peter Menzies: The change required to save the CBC from Pierre Poilievre (Toronto Star) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Jacob T. Levy: Campus culture wars are a teachable moment in how freedom of speech and academic freedom differ (Globe and Mail) 
• [HARMFUL SPEECH] OPINION: Howard Levitt: It’s time for government and police to take antisemitic intimidation seriously (Financial Post) 
• OPINION: Jim Balsillie: An outdated myth about business investment is hurting the Canadian economy (National Post) 
• [ONLINE HARMS] OPINION: Christopher Dietzel, Alexa Dodge, Kaitlynn Mendes, Nikita Kalwani, Suzie Dunn:Canadian schools need to address digital sexual violence in their curricula and policies (The Conversation) 

International News

December 20-26

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Pentagon cloud tie-up with Silicon Valley is off to a slow start (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] The City That’s Trying to Replace Politicians With Computers (It’s Working) (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/SURVEILLANCE] China Is Stealing AI Secrets to Turbocharge Spying, U.S. Says (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MEDIA] Apple Explores A.I. Deals With News Publishers (New York Times) 
• [PRIVACY] How Meta’s New Face Camera Heralds a New Age of Surveillance (New York Times) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION] What TikTok Is Showing America’s Youth About the War in Gaza; The popular app can feed young users a stream of intense, polarized and hard-to-verify videos about the Israel-Hamas war (Wall Street Journal) 
• [POLICING] The Wildly Popular Police Scanner Goes Silent for Many (New York Times)  

December 27 – January 2

• [PRIVACY/JOURNALISM/SURVEILLANCE] India targets Apple over its phone hacking notifications  (Washington Post) 
• [PRIVACY]  Google settles $5 billion consumer privacy lawsuit  (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MEDIA] Inside the News Industry’s Uneasy Negotiations With OpenAI (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/LAWSUIT] The Times Sues OpenAI and Microsoft Over A.I. Use of Copyrighted Work (New York Times)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT] Boom in A.I. Prompts a Test of Copyright Law (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Chief Justice Roberts Sees Promise and Danger of A.I. in the Courts (New York Times)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Michael Cohen used fake cases created by AI in bid to end his probation  (Washington Post) 
• [DIGITAL ADVERTISING] Social media companies made US$11 billion in U.S. ad revenue from minors, Harvard study finds (CTV News) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION] Elon Musk’s X fails to block California’s content moderation law (Reuters) 
• [MISINFORMATION/PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Zeynep Tufekci: Avert Your Eyes, Avoid Responsibility and Just Blame TikTok  (New York Times) 

January 3-9

• [PRIVACY] Google location data was used to find Jan. 6 rioters. It’s disappearing.  (Washington Post) 
• [DATA PRIVACY] Ad Firms Fret as Google Removes Cookies — Critics say sector isn’t ready for the user-tracking tech to be phased out (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Misinformation in an Era Without Trust (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT] At heart of Times lawsuit, a thorny question that could change AI’s future (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT] ‘Impossible’ to create AI tools like ChatGPT without copyrighted material, OpenAI says  (The Guardian) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Congress, lagging on AI rules, may be ahead of the curve on AI use ; Lawmakers are launching a “cautious yet proactive exploration” of AI use in their work. (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/CYBERCRIME] AI advances risk facilitating cyber crime, top US officials say (Reuters) 
• [INTERNET POLICY/DIGITAL CONTRACT LABOUR] Biden administration issues rule that could curb ‘gig’ work, contracting (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Finra Calls AI ‘Emerging Risk’ in Annual Regulatory Report (Wall Street Journal)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Moore calls for creation of AI safety guardrails (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ PLATFORM REGULATION] Google faces $1.67 bln damages demand at AI-related patent trial (Reuters) 

January 10-16

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OpenAI team to focus on democratic processes for artificial intelligence software (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] AI fears creep into finance, business and law  (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Google Lays Off Hundreds Among Latest Tech Cuts  (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Tennessee governor unveils legislation targeting use of artificial intelligence in music (USA Today) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/DEEPFAKES] No, That’s Not Taylor Swift Peddling Le Creuset Cookware (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MEDIA] Senators warn AI could lead to ‘destruction’ of local news (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/LAWSUIT]  OpenAI Says New York Times Copyright Lawsuit Against It Is ‘Without Merit’  (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS] OpenAI Bans Use of AI Tools for Campaigning, Voter Suppression (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/BLOCKCHAIN] AI Has a Trust Problem. Can Blockchain Help? (Wall Street Journal) 
• [BLOCKCHAIN] Crypto’s Nazi problem: With few rules to stop them, white supremacists fundraise for hate (USA Today) 
• [DEFAMATION] Trump legal team rejects calls for testimony limits in defamation case (Reuters) 
• [MISINFORMATION] China’s meddling in Taiwan presages year of misinformation threats  (Washington Post) 
• [CENSORSHIP] How the Russian Government Silences Wartime Dissent (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION]  Substack wants to remain neutral, but it’s hosting Nazi newsletters  (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/CONTENT MODERATION] Instagram’s new teen safety features still fall short, critics say (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Austrian activist Schrems broadens Meta privacy complaint (Reuters) 
• [DEFAMATION] Racial equity activist must pay at least $38,000 after judge dismisses her lawsuit alleging harm from Awake Illinois leader  (Chicago Tribune) 
• [DATA PRIVACY] Microsoft offers to store all personal data of cloud customers in EU (Reuters) 
• [PRIVACY] Social Media: Big brands dump TikTok tracking tool over privacy  (Sydney Morning Herald) 
• [MISINFORMATION] YouTube making money off new breed of climate denial, monitoring group says (Reuters) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] After Harvard and Penn resignations, who wants to be a college president? (Washington Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION]  Indiana University Cancels Major Exhibition of Palestinian Artist  

(January 10 – 16, 2024)

Supreme Court of Canada  

• The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed the following leave applications:
  • [COMPETITION] Chelsea Jensen and Laurent Abesdris v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Samsung Semiconductor Inc., Samsung Electronics Canada, Inc., SK Hynix Inc., SK Hynix America Inc., Micron Technology, Inc. and Micron Semiconductor Products, Inc.(Fed.) (Civil) (By Leave) (40807) 
  • [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Ian Linkletter v. Proctorio, Incorporated (B.C.) (Civil) (By Leave) (40787)
  • [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation v. Haydn Edmundson (Ont.)(Civil) (By Leave) (40933)

Canadian Heritage 

• The Government of Canada to make an important funding announcement for Black communities in British Columbia 

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Privacy Commissioner extends deadline on biometrics guidance consultation
• Privacy Commissioner announces appointment to new Deputy Commissioner position

Copyright Board Canada   

• Modernizing the Register

Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada announces reappointment of Matthew Boswell as Commissioner of Competition
• Government of Canada on track to exceed high-speed Internet connectivity targets  

Democratic Institutions 

• Statement by Minister LeBlanc on the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions

Global Affairs Canada 

• Canada joins Tallinn Mechanism to support Ukraine in cyberspace 

Elections Canada

•  New resource to counter misinformation and disinformation about the electoral process 

Canadian Intellectual Property Office 

• CIPO attends G7 Heads of IP Office Conversation
• CIPO and the Trade Commissioner Service to promote Canadian intellectual property protection abroad  

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 

• News Releases
  • CRTC Broadband Fund: projects selected in December 2023 
  • CRTC takes action to bring high-speed Internet to all communities in Nunavut 
• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-9
    [2024-01-12 11:00:00]
    United Christian Broadcasters Media Canada – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan – Application to change the authorized contours of the unlaunched commercial specialty (Religious music) radio station CIHX-FM
  • Telecom decision 2024-8
    [2024-01-11 11:00:00]
    Optitel Mobile Inc. – Failure to become a participant in the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services Inc. – Public record: 1011-NOC2023-0045
  • Telecom order 2024-7
    [2024-01-11 11:00:00]
    Broadband Fund – Change request – Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation’s British Columbia (Highway 95/95A corridor) transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
  • Telecom order 2024-6
    [2024-01-11 11:00:00]
    Broadband Fund – Change request – ATG Arrow Technology Group Limited Partnership’s access project in Alberta (Fox Lake) – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-5
    [2024-01-10 11:00:00]
    Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Québec and Fermont, Quebec – Application to change the authorized contours of CBMR-FM Fermont, a rebroadcasting transmitter of the radio station CBVE-FM
  • Telecom order 2024-4
    [2024-01-09 11:00:00]
    Broadband Fund Payment Order – Approval of Claim Forms – December 2023
  • Telecom order 2024-3
    [2024-01-08 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff application: TELUS Communications Inc., TN 659
  • Telecom order 2024-2
    [2024-01-08 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Quebecor Media Inc., on behalf of Videotron Ltd., TN 2; Northwestel Inc., TN 1200; TELUS Communications Inc., TN 586 and TN 4415
  • Broadcasting regulatory policy 2024-1
    [2024-01-08 11:00:00]
    Revised list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution – Annual compilation of amendments

Google

• How Google is supporting repair and sensible right to repair legislation 
• Reaffirming choice and openness on Android and Google Play 
• Seizing the AI opportunity in Europe 

Meta

• New Protections to Give Teens More Age-Appropriate Experiences on Our Apps 

Microsoft

• Enhancing trust and protecting privacy in the AI era 

YouTube

• Elevating first aid information on YouTube search 

OpenAI

• OpenAI and journalism 
• Introducing the GPT Store 
• Introducing ChatGPT Team 
• How OpenAI is approaching 2024 worldwide elections 
• Democratic inputs to AI grant program: lessons learned and implementation plans 

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days: Is not sitting January 10 to 16, 2024. Next sitting day is Feb 6, 2024

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days: Is not sitting January 10 to 16, 2024. Next sitting day is Jan 29, 2024

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of December 18 to 20, 2023: 
  • Broadcasting Decisions:
    • Golden West Broadcasting Ltd. Grande Prairie, Alberta CJGY-FM Grande Prairie and its transmitters CJGY-FM-1 Fort St. John and CJGY-FM-2 Dawson Creek – License amendment Public record: 2023-0052-3
  • Telecom Decisions:
    • Matters related to the transition to next-generation 9-1-1 in areas with basic 9‑1‑1 service. Public records: 8621-C12-01/08, 1011-NOC2020-0326 and 8663-C163-202107276
• Upcoming Hearings
  • 2023-369 – Notice of hearing – 8 February 2024 – National Capital Region – Deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 18 December 2023
  • 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:

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

·         Consultation on Copyright in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence – January 15, 2024

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

·         Biometrics Guidance Consultation – February 16, 2024

Statistics Canada:

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

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