Weekly Newsletter for January 23, 2024

Weekly News (January 23, 2024)

Compiled by Brad McNeil with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(January 17-23, 2023)
Canadian News 

• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Canadians pay more than most for cellphone plans. Some angry MPs are demanding to know why  (Toronto Star) 
• [INTERNET POLICY/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Canada accused of being out of step over moves to stop kids viewing online porn (Globe and Mail) 
• [ADVERTISING]  Le Parti québécois veut donner de l’« oxygène » aux médias (La Presse)
• [PRESS FREEDOM] Small Quebec village gags local paper and citizens by threatening to sue, cut funding (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Regulator’s attempt at mining condo owner data called out (Globe and Mail) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] University of Alberta Indigenous association hosts talk on how to confront residential school denialism (Penticton Herald) 

• [CYBERSECURITY] Months after a massive Ontario hospital cyberattack, Bluewater Health struggles to get back online (Globe and Mail) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] City eyes changes in wake if online breaches (Toronto Star) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] Toronto library begins restoring services following ransomware attack, but some user access won’t be available until February  (Toronto Star) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] Toronto Zoo says social insurance numbers, addresses of employees stolen in cyberattack (Toronto Star) 
• [ONLINE STREAMING ACT/INDUSTRY] Amazon MGM Studios touts multi-year plan for Toronto-based production (Toronto Star) 
• [MISINFORMATION/ONLINE NEWS ACT] Why weird ads about Sophie Trudeau, Howie Mandel — and Mary Berg — mean we’re in trouble online  (Toronto Star) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Peter MacLeod: We need a radical new approach for the CBC  (Hamilton Spectator) 
• [ONLINE HARMS/DISINFORMATION] OPINION: Martin Regg Cohn: How do we fight back when technology undermines democracy? (Toronto Star)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: John V.L. Nguyen: With AI, Canada cannot risk another Nortel moment (Toronto Star) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Sinead Bovell: AI fake news creations will undermine truthful reporting (Toronto Star)  
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Donovan Vincent: We have good reason for closing online commenting on Middle East coverage  (Toronto Star) 

International News

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS]Philippines to propose ASEAN AI regulatory framework, house speaker says (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/GOVERNANCE] Climate Took Back Seat as Davos Talks Mostly Focused on Artificial Intelligence (New York Times) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] Polish top court rejects government plan to overhaul public media (Resuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/JUSTICE] Talking AI, Supreme Court muses about issues it may pose for judicial system  (Washington Post)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS] FEC to weigh AI limits for political ads, but decision may not happen for months (Washington Post)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS] OpenAI won’t allow campaigns to use its tech (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS/DISINFORMATION] OpenAI suspends bot developer for presidential hopeful Dean Phillips (Washington Post)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS/DISINFORMATION] Fake Biden robocall fuels calls for AI regulation (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS] Silicon Valley insiders hope to unseat Biden with an AI-backed challenger (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/REGULATION] New York City Passed an AI Hiring Law. So Far, Few Companies Are Following It. The law requires employers to disclose how algorithms screen job candidates (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/GOVERNANCE] US companies and Chinese experts engaged in secret diplomacy on AI safety (Financial Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/LABOUR] Precarious conditions of AI ‘ghost workers’ revealed by Google termination of Appen contract, union says (The Guardian) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Readers Have a Lot of Questions About AI. We Answer Them. (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/DISINFORMATION] AI is destabilizing ‘the concept of truth itself’ in 2024 election (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE]‘Very scary’: Mark Zuckerberg’s pledge to build advanced AI alarms experts (The Guardian) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Should You Use ChatGPT for Medical Advice? Yes, patients and doctors can use chatbots for certain types of questions, experts say. But beware of the shortcomings. (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] AI bots are everywhere now. These telltale words give them away.  (Washington Post) 
• [MEDIA FUNDING] Billionaires Wanted to Save the News Industry. They’re Losing a Fortune. (New York Times) 
• [PRIVACY] Google warns users Chrome’s incognito mode still tracks data, reports say. What to know. (USA Today)
• [PRIVACY] Google locking down tool that U.S. used for Jan. 6 cases (Washington Post) 
• [DEFAMATION] As Trump Treats Trials Like Rallies, Judges Study How to Rein Him In (New York Times) 
• [DEFAMATION] Prince Harry Withdraws Libel Claim Against Mail on Sunday Publisher (New York Times) 
• [DEFAMATION/PRIVACY] ‘Are We Dating the Same Guy?’ What to know about controversial Facebook groups at center of lawsuit (USA Today) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION/MISINFORMATION]Science vs. social media: Why climate change denial still thrives online (USA Today) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION/MISINFORMATION] Movement calls Oct. 7 attack a ‘false flag’ (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/COMPETITION] DOJ and FTC push to investigate Microsoft’s OpenAI partnership- Politico (Reuters) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Editorial Board: When States Try to Take Away Americans’ Freedom of Thought (New York Times) 

(January 17 – 23, 2024)

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Privacy Commissioner kicks off Data Privacy Week with launch of strategic plan 

National Film Board  

• NFB interactive studios closing. The NFB announces reinvestments in production and innovation initiatives to serve creation, distribution and audience engagement. 

Canadian Security Intelligence Service 

• Remarks by CSIS Director David Vigneault at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights 

Global Affairs Canada 

• Canada joins Tallinn Mechanism to support Ukraine in cyberspace 

Competition Bureau Canada 

• Online reviews posted by employees: businesses could be liable 

Commission for Complaints for Telecom-Television Services 

• Annual Report – August 1, 2022 to July 31, 2023 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 

• News Releases
  • Bram Abramson to the Digital Media at the Crossroads Conference 
• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Telecom order 2024-17
    [2024-01-18 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis, by majority decision, the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc., TN 1201
  • Telecom order 2024-16
    [2024-01-17 11:00:00]
    Broadband Fund – Change request – Rogers Communications Canada Inc.’s Ontario transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
  • Telecom order 2024-15
    [2024-01-17 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application : TELUS Communications Inc., TN 661
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-14
    [2024-01-17 11:00:00]
    Golden West Broadcasting Ltd. – Grande Prairie, Alberta – Application to delete conditions of service relating to the specialty (Religious music) format of the English language commercial specialty (Religious music) radio station CJGY-FM Grande Prairie
  • Telecom order 2024-13
    [2024-01-17 11:00:00]
    Determination of Costs Award – Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in the proceeding initiated by Distributel Communications Limited – File numbers: 8662-D11-202201424 and 4754-690
  • Telecom order 2024-12
    [2024-01-17 11:00:00]
    Determination of Costs Award – Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in the proceeding initiated by Telecom Notice of Consultation 2023-89 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2023-0089 and 4754-717
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-11
    [2024-01-17 11:00:00]
    Notice of hearing – 25 March 2024 – National Capital Region – Deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 16 February 2024
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-10
    [2024-01-17 11:00:00]
    Call for comments on market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Vancouver, British Columbia – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0010

Meta

• On AI, Progress and Vigilance Can Go Hand in Hand 
• 2024 Washington state legislative priorities 

Microsoft

• Advancing youth online safety and wellness 

TikTok 

• Protecting election integrity in 2024 

YouTube

• Elevating first aid information on YouTube search 

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days: Is not sitting January 24 to 30, 2024. Next sitting day is Feb 6, 2024

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days: Is not sitting January 24 to 26, 2024. Next sitting day is Jan 29, 2024
  • Meetings:
    • CHPC – Jobs Cuts Announced at CBC/Radio Canada – Jan 30, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (EST)  

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of December 18 to 20, 2023: 
  • The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the week of 22 to 26 January 2024. This is subject to change without notice.  
• 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

·         Radiocommunication Act Exemption Order (Jammers — Royal Canadian Mounted Police), No. 2024-1 – January 29, 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

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

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