Weekly Newsletter for March 19, 2024

Weekly News (March 19, 2024)

Compiled by Brad McNeil with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(March 13 – 19, 2024)

Canadian News 

• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] Canadians unsure online harms bill will make social media safer, poll shows (Globe and Mail) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Canada conducts national security review of Chinese-owned TikTok (The Guardian) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] Margaret Atwood calls online harms bill ‘Orwellian,’ notes potential for abuse (Globe and Mail) 
• [PRIVACY] Privacy Commissioner launches new ArriveCan investigation, pushing number of probes to over a dozen (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL/HATE SPEECH] Hate speech complaints under Human Rights Act could take years to resolve, experts warn  (Globe and Mail) 
• [MEDIA] SaltWire’s money woes a sign of bigger problems in the newspaper business: experts (CBC) 
• [PRIVACY] Could your health data be stored on U.S. servers? Lawsuit tests Ontario’s privacy safeguards  (Toronto Star) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/ONLINE HARMS] New law would allow B.C. to sue social-media companies, vape producers over ‘health-related wrongs’ (Vancouver Sun) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] Town of Huntsville closes municipal office for 2nd day amid cybersecurity incident (CBC) 
• [COMPETITION] Canada’s indie movie theaters say industry is in crisis (CBC) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Michael Higgins: CBC won’t let poor performance stop $15 million in bonuses (National Post) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] OPINION: Rosie DiManno: Canada’s flawed online harms bill and the U.K.’s misguided legislation on extremism are parts of a troubling trend  (Toronto Star) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] OPINION: Andrew Coyne: Canada’s Online Harms Act is revealing itself to be staggeringly reckless (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL/HATE SPEECH] OPINION: David Thomas: I chaired the Human Rights Tribunal. It has no business policing ‘hate speech’ (National Post) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Tristin Hopper: FIRST READING: What CBC could have done with all that bonus money (National Post) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] OPINION: Tristin Hopper: FIRST READING: Canada is becoming a globally recognized lesson in what not to do (National Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/INTERNET POLICY] OPINION: Editorial Board: Pornography, Parliament and parents (Globe and Mail) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Robert Diab: Does TikTok pose a security threat to Canadians? (The Conversation) 

International News

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PLATFORM REGULATION] South Korea hosted summit warns of AI risks to democracy (Reuters) 
• [DISINFORMATION/ELECTIONS] Blinken Warns of Disinformation Threat to Democracies (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION]  Europe one step away from landmark AI rules after lawmakers’ vote (Reuters) 
• [CENSORSHIP] Hong Kong passes draconian new national security law (Globe and Mail) 
• [CENSORSHIP/INTERNET POLICY] Russia Strengthens Its Internet Controls in Critical Year for Putin (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Australian regulator demands social media firms disclose anti-terrorism efforts  (Reuters) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] White House’s Efforts to Combat Misinformation Are Facing a Supreme Court Test (New York Times)
• [FREEDOM OF SPEECH/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] How politicians quietly influence what social media posts get removed (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Potential TikTok Ban Tees Up Legal Showdown Over Free Speech (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Khanna Explains Opposition to TikTok Bill While Senators Signal Openness (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] TikTok creators say House ban threatens lives and livelihoods  (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT] Reddit Says FTC Looking Into Licensing of User Content to Third Parties for AI Models (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PLATFORM REGULATION] U.S. SEC fines two investment advisers over AI claims (Globe and Mail)
• [CENSORSHIP] Book bans in US schools and libraries surged to record highs in 2023 (The Guardian) 
• [LAWSUIT] Sam Altman’s Worldcoin files lawsuit after Spanish ban (Reuters) 
• (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] As Generative AI Takes Off, Researchers Warn of Data Poisoning (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS/LAWSUIT] Group sues after novel Biden deepfake urged voters to skip N.H. primary  (Washington Post)
• [DISINFORMATION] How Trump’s Allies Are Winning the War Over Disinformation (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/CONTENT MODERATION] Citing alleged abuses on OnlyFans, lawmakers call for stronger safeguards (Reuters) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: David French: What Trump’s TikTok Flip-Flop Tells America (New York Times)  
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Jennifer Rubin: The House’s move against TikTok goes too far — and not far enough  (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/ELECTIONS] OPINION: Peggy Noonan: TikTok, the Clock Winds Down to Election Day (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/PRIVACY] OPINION: Julia Angwin: Why Are Lawmakers Trying to Ban TikTok Instead of Doing What Voters Actually Want? (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Kevin Roberts: To protect kids online, take a page from gambling, alcohol and Sandra Day O’Connor  (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Ramesh Ponnuru: What the House vote on TikTok says about Republicans   (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Editorial Board: The clock ticks for Chinese ownership of TikTok. Good.  (Chicago Tribune) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Megan McArdle: Congress can’t easily force ByteDance to sell TikTok  (Washington Post)
• [DISINFORMATION] OPINION: Editorial Board: Don’t defund the fight against Russia and China’s disinformation (New York Times) 

(March 13 – 19, 2024)

Supreme Court of the United States 

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] LINDKE v. FREED  – No. 22-611,  Argued October 31, 2023—Decided March 15, 2024
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] O’CONNOR-RATCLIFF v. GARNIER – No. 22-324, Argued date: decided date: March 15, 2024 

Federal Court of Canada

• [PATENT] Google LLC v. Sonos Inc. – 2024-03-13 

Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Privacy regulators welcome changes to Airbnb policy on surveillance camera use 
• OPC launches new online privacy impact assessment submission form 

Canadian Heritage 

• Supporting Indigenous-led storytelling through permanent funding for the Indigenous Screen Office 

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Governments of Canada and Ontario invest over $11.4 million to bring high-speed Internet access to more than 2,600 Indigenous households in Ontario 
• Minister Champagne wraps up his participation at G7 meeting of industry, technology and digital ministers in Italy 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 

• News Release:
  • CRTC launches public consultation to implement the Online News Act  
• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-60
    [2024-03-15 11:00:00]
    Call for applications – Radio station to serve Calgary, Alberta – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0060
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-59
    [2024-03-15 11:00:00]
    Findings regarding market capacity and the appropriateness of issuing a call for radio applications to serve Calgary, Alberta – Public record: 1011-NOC2023-0012
  • Telecom order 2024-58
    [2024-03-14 11:00:00]
    Broadband Fund – Change request – Northwestel Inc.’s Northwest Territories satellite project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0191
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-57
    [2024-03-14 11:00:00]
    Call for applications – Radio station to serve Yellowknife, Northwest Territories – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0057
  • Telecom decision 2024-56
    [2024-03-13 11:00:00]
    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; 8663-C163-202107276
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-55
    [2024-03-13 11:00:00]
    Call for comments – Framework under the Online News Act (formerly Bill C-18) – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0055
  • Telecom order 2024-54
    [2024-03-13 11:00:00]
    Broadband Fund – Change request – Northwestel Inc.’s Northwest Territories fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0191
  • Telecom order 2024-53
    [2024-03-13 11:00:00]
    Broadband Fund – Change request – Northwestel Inc.’s Yukon fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0191

OpenAI

• Global news partnerships: Le Monde and Prisa Media 

Youtube 

• How we’re helping creators disclose altered or synthetic content  

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days:  The Senate will sit from March 19 to 21, 2024, with a possible sitting day on March 22, 2024
  • Bills on the Agenda:
    • C-294: An Act to amend the Copyright Act (interoperability) – current status: At second reading in the Senate 
    • C-288: An Act to amend the Telecommunications Act (transparent and accurate broadband services information)  – current status: At second reading in the Senate
    • C-244:  An Act to amend the Copyright Act (diagnosis, maintenance and repair)  – current status: At second reading in the Senate   

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  The House of Commons will sit from March 18 to 22, 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:
    • Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP): Report 1, ArriveCAN, of the 2024 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada: Tuesday March 19, 2024, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 
    • Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (CHPC): National Forum on the Media: Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Ongoing)  

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of 18 to 22 March 2024:
  • The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the week of 18 to 22 March 2024. This is subject to change without notice.
    • Broadcasting Fees Regulations

Public record: 1011-NOC2023-0280

• Upcoming Consultation
  • Compliance and Enforcement notice of consultation 2024-43-1 [2024-03-04 11:00:00] Call for comments – Proposed conditions of service requiring implementation of the call traceback process by telecommunications service providers providing voice telecommunications services – Changes to deadlines – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0043 
• Upcoming Hearing
  • March 25, 2024 – National Capital Region
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-11 –  View hearing documents (2024-11)
  • 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)
  • May 3, 2023 – Gatineau, Quebec
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-6, 2023-6-1, 2023-6-2 View hearing documents (2023-6)
  • May 11, 2023 – National Capital Region
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-49, View hearing documents (2023-49)
• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

• Statistics Canada:

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

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