Weekly Newsletter for February 17, 2024

Weekly News (February 27, 2024)

Compiled by Brad McNeil with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(February 21 – 27, 2024)

Canadian News 

• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] Online harms bill would create new hate-crime offence, make tech platforms responsible for harmful content  (Globe and Mail) 
• [INTERNET POLICY/ONLINE HARMS BILL] Ottawa’s online harms act to make websites crack down on child pornography  (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] Canada to Compel Digital Platforms to Remove Harmful Content (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] Ottawa considering a new ombudsperson to field concerns about online harms (Montreal Gazette) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] RCMP launches criminal investigation into ‘alarming’ breach of its networks (National Post) 
• [ONLINE HARMS]  Online safety a key part of Ottawa’s new gender plan — and to world peace, says envoy  (Toronto Star) 
• [FREEDOM OF INFORMATION]
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS/COMPETITION] Some cellphone plans not as cheap as they were before Rogers-Shaw merger: watchdog  (Toronto Star) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Immigration spurring telecom subscriber growth but ongoing investments needed, report says (Globe and Mail) 
• [INTERNET POLICY] Pierre Poilievre backs a Senate bill that wants Canadians to verify their age to watch porn online. How would it work?  (Toronto Star) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] How one of Toronto’s busiest libraries is recovering after the cyber attack (Toronto Star) 
• [MEDIA] Vice, Bell Media, CBC: Here’s a look at recent media layoffs in Canada (Toronto Star)  
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/ONLINE HARMS BILL] OPINION: Campbell Clark: Serious questions and cartoon politics about internet regulation (Globe and Mail) 
• [HATE SPEECH] OPINION: Reid Rusonik:  It’s time to get much tougher on hate speech  (Toronto Star) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/INTERNET POLICY] OPINION: Jesse Kline: The unnerving Canadian political consensus on internet censorship (National Post) 
• [ONLINE HARMS] OPINION: Emma Teitel: If he wants to protect kids, Pierre Poilievre should forget about porn and look in the mirror  (Toronto Star) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS/COMPETITION] OPINION: Andrew Coyne: Angry at businesses like Bell Media? Real competition – not anger – is the answer (Globe and Mail) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Glenn O’Farrell:  CBC needs to change to capture a broader and younger international audience. Here’s how  (Toronto Star) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Navneet Alang: ChatGPT did a very strange thing and Air Canada has turned on its chatbot. Are we sure AI is ready for prime time?  (Toronto Star) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Émile Baril and Steven Tufts: Gig-work platforms are destructive and exploitative – something must be done (Globe and Mail) 

International News

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.PLATFORM REGULATION] Supreme Court to Decide How the First Amendment Applies to Social Media (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/CONTENT MODERATION] What to Know About the Supreme Court Arguments on Social Media Laws (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] U.S. Supreme Court wrestles with GOP-led states’ efforts to regulate social media platforms (Globe and Mail) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Supreme Court to decide if states can control fate of social media (Washington Post) 
• [JOURNALISM] Mexico president lambastes YouTube after company edits video revealing NYT journalist’s number (Reuters) 
• [CENSORSHIP/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Pakistan blocks X for the sixth day as activists criticize the social media platform’s shutdown (Associated Press )
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/PRIVACY] Apple warns Australian proposal to force tech companies to scan cloud services could lead to mass surveillance (The Guardian) 
• [INTERNET POLICY/PRIVACY] New Biden order would stem flow of Americans’ sensitive data to China (Washington Post) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] Leaked Files Show the Secret World of China’s Hackers for Hire (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/REGULATION] US Justice Dept names first AI officer as new technology challenges law enforcement (Reuters) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] X takes down accounts that media say are linked to India farmers protests (Reuters) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Florida Passes Sweeping Bill to Keep Young People Off Social Media (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/DISINFORMATION] Meta to set up team to counter disinformation, AI abuse in EU elections (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MISINFORMATION] Beware the Top Google Search Result. It Might Be Wrong. (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Political consultant behind fake Biden robocalls says he was trying to highlight a need for AI rules  (Toronto Star) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/HARMFUL CONTENT] Google Restricts AI Images Amid Outcry Over Chatbot’s Treatment of Race (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/REGULATION] ‘AI godfather’, others urge more deepfake regulation in open letter (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/DISINFORMATION/ELECTIONS] AI is destabilizing ‘the concept of truth itself’ in pivotal election year  (Washington Post) 
• [PRIVACY]  Twitter employees stopped Musk from breaking federal order, FTC finds  (Washington Post) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION/HARMFUL SPEECH] Elon Musk Goes on Offense to Defend Offensive Speech (Wall Street Journal) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION/DEEP FAKES] A comedian’s deepfake spotlights lack of guardrails against AI porn on X  (Washington Post) 
• [COMPETITION]Exclusive: Google steps up Microsoft criticism, warns of rival’s monopoly in cloud (Reuters)
• [CENSORSHIP] OPINION: Phillip Hamburger: Is There Any Remedy When You’re Censored? (Wall Street Journal) 
• [COMPETITION] OPINION: William P. Barr: Siri, Does Apple Violate Antitrust Law? (Wall Street Journal) 

(February 21 – 27, 2024)

Federal Court of Canada

• [COPYRIGHT]Alberta v. Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency (Access Copyright) 

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Announcements:
  • Privacy Commissioner to investigate privacy breach at Global Affairs Canada 
  • Completed projects from the OPC’s Contributions Program’s 2022-2023 cycle explore the impact of privacy issues on diverse groups 

Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

• Information Commissioner launches a systemic investigation into ArriveCan 

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada joins international partners in endorsing shared principles for 6G 

Canadian Heritage

• News Releases:
  • Minister St-Onge announces appointment of Nathalie Théberge as Vice-Chairperson of CRTC
  •  Government of Canada introduces legislation to combat harmful content online, including the sexual exploitation of children   
• Media Advisory:
  •  Media technical briefing and press conference on the new bill entitled An Act to enact the Online Harms Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts
• Backgrounder:
  • Backgrounder – Government of Canada introduces legislation to combat harmful content online, including the sexual exploitation of children. 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 

• Speech:
  • Scott Hutton to the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology 
• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Telecom order 2024-40
    [2024-02-22 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff applications: Northwestel Inc., TN 1201; Quebecor Media Inc., on behalf of Videotron Ltd., TN 2 and TELUS Communications Inc.; TN 661
  • Telecom order 2024-39
    [2024-02-22 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc., TN 1203
  • Telecom order 2024-38
    [2024-02-21 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves the following tariff applications: Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership, TN 575 and Northwestel Inc., TN 1199

Microsoft 

• Microsoft’s AI Access Principles: Our commitments to promote innovation and competition in the new AI economy 

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days:  The Senate will sit from February 27 – 29, 2024.

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  The House of Commons will sit the week of February 26 to March 1, 2024.
  • Bills on the Agenda:
    • Bill C-63: An Act to enact the Online Harms Act, to amend the Criminal Code, the Canadian Human Rights Act and An Act respecting the mandatory reporting of Internet child pornography by persons who provide an Internet service and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts – At second reading in the House of Commons 
  • Meetings:
    • Canadian Heritage (CHPC): National Forum on the Media: Tuesday, February 27, 2024. 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. 
    • Government Operation and Estimates (OGGO): ArriveCAN Application: Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  
    • Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU): Accessibility and Affordability of Wireless and Broadband Services in Canada: Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.  

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of 19 to 23 February 2024:
  • The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the week of 19 to 23 February 2024. This is subject to change without notice.
• Upcoming Hearings
  • February 23, 2023 – National Capital Region
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2022-331, 2022-331-1
    View hearing documents (2022-331)
  • 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, 2022-147-3, 2022-147-4
    View hearing documents (2022-147)
• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

• 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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