Weekly Newsletter for May 28, 2024

Weekly News (May 28, 2024)

Compiled by Brad McNeil with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(May 23 – 28, 2024)

Canadian News

• [ONLINE NEWS ACT]  For Canadians who relied on Facebook, coping with wildfire season got even more complicated this year (Toronto Star)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Ottawa developing new artificial intelligence strategy for the public service  (Globe and Mail) 
• [PRIVACY] Report on personal emails in Greenbelt scandal will follow FOI appeals, privacy commissioner says  (Toronto Star) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Federal government plans to increase its use of AI — with some big exceptions (CBC) 
• [CYBERSECURITY]  Cybersecurity plan for federal government takes aim at ‘inefficiencies, blind spots’  (Toronto Star) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION]  Federal government’s voluntary AI code of conduct gets eight more signatories  (Torotno Star) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/DATA ETHICS] Disruption for Reconciliation in Action: AI Adoption as a Pathway to Inclusion (Northern News) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/HATE SPEECH] AI-powered hate content is on the rise, experts say (CBC) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Man or machine? Toronto company finds a way to determine how real audio clips are (Globe and Mail) 
• [HATE SPEECH]  U of T president appears before House committee to speak about antisemitism on campuses  (Toronto Star) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/HATE SPEECH] Eliminating religion as a hate speech defense an idea worth exploring, says antisemitism envoy (CBC) 
• [PRIVACY] Can the cops point a video camera at your home without a search warrant? Can a condo owner put a video doorbell on the outside of their unit?  (Toronto Star) 
• [CAMPUS PROTEST/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] U of T faculty association alarmed as school warns of termination for those who don’t leave pro-Palestinian encampment before deadline; The faculty association executive said it’s the first time, to their knowledge, that professors have faced such a public threat from the university administration  (Globe and Mail) 
• [CAMPUS PROTEST/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Media Advisory: OFL to hold solidarity rally on Monday at U of T encampment to defend students’ right to protest (Financial Post) 
• [CAMPUS PROTEST/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] McMaster encampment over after protesters vote to accept university’s offer (Toronto Star)  
• [CAMPUS PROTEST/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Brian Schwartz: The University of Toronto has abandoned its promise to prohibit hate speech, intimidation (National Post) 
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: Beyhan Farhadi: Vaping in schools: Ontario’s $30 million for surveillance and security won’t address student needs (The Conversation)  
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Dave Leblanc: Why are ‘procedurals’ good for cop shows but not for architecture? (Globe and Mail) 

International News

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Seoul summit showcases UK’s progress on trying to make advanced AI safe  (The Guardian) 
• [DATA PRIVACY] EU data protection board says ChatGPT still not meeting data accuracy standards (Reuters) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION/LABOUR] Kenyan tech employees lobby Biden for labor protections in trade agreements  (Washington Post) 
• [DISINFORMATION/ELECTIONS] Debunking misinformation failed. Welcome to ‘pre-bunking’  (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS] Arizona leader warns threats against election officials are domestic terrorism as 2024 fears grow  (USA Today) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MEDIA] The media bosses fighting back against AI — and the ones cutting deals (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Behind the Scenes of Scarlett Johansson’s Battle With OpenAI (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MEDIA]  Meta engagement plan could affect news industry – again  (Washington Post) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] A Microsoft under attack from government and tech rivals after ‘preventable’ hack ties executive pay to cyberthreats (CNBC) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS] Democratic operative indicted over Biden AI robocalls in New Hampshire (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS] A.I.’s Effect on Election Is Still Mostly Theoretical  (New York Times) 
• [DATA PRIVACY] Meta is using your Instagram and Facebook photos to train its AI models  (Business Insider) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] OpenAI Forms New Committee to Evaluate Safety, Security (Wall Street Journal
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Big tech has distracted world from existential risk of AI, says top scientist (The Guardian) 
• [COMPETITION] US Sues to Break Up Ticketmaster and Live Nation, Alleging Monopoly Abuse (Wired) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/DEEPFAKES] White House pushes tech industry to shut down market for sexually abusive AI deepfakes (Associated Press) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MISINFORMATION] Why Google’s AI might recommend you mix glue into your pizza  (Washington Post) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION] How social media platforms can avoid fueling another Jan. 6  (Washington Post) 
• [DEFAMATION] Idaho Drag Performer Wins Over $1.1 Million in Defamation Suit Against Blogger (New York Times) 
• [CAMPUS PROTESTS/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Oxford University students arrested at pro-Palestinian sit-in  (Globe and Mail) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Navneet Alang: A fantasyland of fakery and fringe theories. AI is creating a world where nothing will be real 
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] OPINION: Sheema Khan: Will the rise of AI spell the end of intellectual property rights? (Globe and Mail)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: James Kirchick: How ‘Zionist’ Became a Bad Word in Publishing (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COMPETITION] OPINION: William P. Barr: Big Tech’s Budding AI Monopoly (Wall Street Journal) 

(May 23 – 28, 2024)

Canadian Heritage

• Canada and Quebec are co-organizing the first meeting of the UNESCO Group of Experts on the diversity of cultural expression in the digital environment

Democratic Institutions

• Protecting Canada’s Democratic Institutions from Foreign Interference
• Statement on the Tabling of the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency report on the 43rd and 44th Federal General Elections

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Eight organizations to join Canada’s voluntary AI code of conduct

Competition Bureau Canada

• Canadian Digital Regulators Forum marks successful first year

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

• World IP Day 2024 – Intellectual property and the Sustainable Development Goals: Building our common future with innovation and creativity

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• New online breach reporting forms for federal institutions and businesses
• Privacy Commissioner appears before Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Bill S-210
• Appearance before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on Bill S-210

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Broadcasting and Telecoms 
  • Telecom order 2024-116
    [2024-05-27 11:00:00]
    Broadband Fund – Change request – Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation’s British Columbia transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
  • Broadcasting information bulletin 2024-115
    [2024-05-27 11:00:00]
    Guidance on practice and procedure under the Online News Act
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-114
    [2024-05-27 11:00:00]
    Arsenal Media Inc. – Joliette, Quebec – Application to operate a new commercial FM radio station in Joliette
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-113
    [2024-05-27 11:00:00]
    Radio Nord-Joli inc. – Joliette, Quebec – Application to operate a French-language community FM radio station in Joliette to replace the French-language community radio station CFNJ-FM Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon
  • Telecom order 2024-112
    [2024-05-23 11:00:00]
    Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in the additional process initiated by Compliance and Enforcement and Telecom Decision 2022-170 – File numbers:1011-NOC2021-0009 and 4754-675
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-111
    [2024-05-23 11:00:00]
    Call for comments – Proposed Cost Recovery Regulations – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0111

Google

• Epic’s proposed remedies are bad for everyone but Epic

TikTok

• Strengthening our approach to countering influence attempts

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days:  The Senate will sit from May 28 – 30, 2024, with a possible sitting day on May 31, 2024.
  • Bills on the Agenda
    • C-288: An Act to amend the Telecommunications Act (transparent and accurate broadband services information) – at third reading in the Senate

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  The House of Commons will sit form May 27 – 31, 2024.
  • Meetings:
    • Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU): Bill C-27, Digital Charter Implementation Act – Wednesday, May 29, 2024, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of 27 to 31 May 2024
  • The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the week of 27 to 31 May 2024. This is subject to change without notice.

• Upcoming Hearings
  • June 28, 2023 – Gatineau, Quebec
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-72, View hearing documents (2023-72)
  • July 6, 2023 – National Capital Region
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-129, 2023-129-1  View hearing documents (2023-129)
• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Call for comments – Co-development of an Indigenous Broadcasting Policy – July 22, 2024 2024-67

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

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