Weekly Newsletter for September 24, 2024

Weekly News (September 24, 2024)

Compiled by Brad McNeil with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(September 18 – 24, 2024)

Canadian News

• [JOURNALISM TAX CREDIT] Far-right media outlet Rebel News not eligible for journalism tax credits, Federal Court rules  (Globe and Mail) 
• [FOREIGN INTERFERENCE] India and China use illegal funds and disinformation to sway politicians, CSIS report says (Globe and Mail) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Canada’s $2-billion AI computing plan could wind up helping foreign tech giants  (Globe and Mail) 
• [FOREIGN INTERFERENCE]  MPs want Canadians tied to alleged Russian influencer op to testify at committee  (Toronto Star) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] When Nunavik’s cell service fails, where should people complain?  (Penticton Herald) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Saskatchewan court to hear appeal arguments over challenge to province’s pronoun law  (Globe and Mail) 
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] Quebecor made offer to buy Corus Entertainment months ago, but struggling media company has not yet responded, source says (Globe and Mail) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Conservatives call on Elon Musk to step in after Liberals provide loan to Ottawa-based satellite operator (CTV News) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Rogers shoots, Rogers scores: How the MLSE deal happened (Globe and Mail) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ECONOMY] Bank of Canada trying to figure out how AI might affect inflation, Macklem says  (CTV News) 
• [HATE SPEECH/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Mail carrier suspended after refusing to deliver flyers calling for ban on ‘child sex-change’ (CBC)
• [ONLINE HARMS] Keeping children safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids (Globe and Mail) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Legal groups file three complaints over Vancouver Police Department treatment of Palestine protesters (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE HARMS/REGULATION] OPINION: Elaine Craig: Age-verification laws won’t protect kids from porn – and they could even make things worse (Globe and Mail) 
• [LOCAL MEDIA] OPINION: Louis Audet: Local news media are going, going and may soon be gone. Only political courage will save them (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE HARMS] OPINION: Robert Carick: People are being preyed upon on social media and losing money (Globe and Mail) 

International News

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION]  At the U.N., world leaders try to lay out a vision for the future — and actually make it happen (Washington Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Meta to European Union: Your Tech Rules Threaten to Squelch the AI Boom (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Brazil Fines Musk for Skirting X Ban (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Brazil court asks X for documents as the platform starts to comply with orders (Reuters) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Musk’s X Capitulates in Fight With Judges in Brazil  (Bloomberg) 
• [FOREIGN INTERFERENCE/DISINFORMATION] Russia propaganda group behind fake Kamala Harris hit-and-run story, says Microsoft (The Guardian) 
• [FOREIGN INTERFERENCE/DISINFORMATION] Russia, Iran use AI to boost anti-U.S. influence campaigns, officials say (Washington Post) 
• [HATE SPEECH/ONLINE HARMS] Ireland drops plans for hate speech law, minister says (Reuters) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/ONLINE HARMS] California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction (Globe and Mail)
• [MEDIA]  News organizations petition Nevada Supreme Court to open up secret Murdoch succession case  (CNN) 
• [ONLINE ADVERTISEMENTS/HATE SPEECH]  On YouTube, Major Brands’ Ads Appear Alongside Racist Falsehoods About Haitian Immigrants (New York Times) 
• [ONLINE HARMS/REGULATION] House panel advances bills on child online safety, but roadblocks are piling up  (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/PRIVACY/ONLINE HARMS] FTC report assails social networks’ privacy, safety practices (Washington PosT) 
• [PRIVACY/SURVEILLANCE] F.T.C. Study Finds ‘Vast Surveillance’ of Social Media Users (New York Times) 
• [CYBERATTACK/DATA PRIVACY] Health system to pay $65 million after hackers leaked nude patient photos (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/DATA PRIVACY] Social media users lack control over data used by AI, US FTC says (Reuters) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] After Years of Warnings, Telegram Founder Cedes to Police Requests About Users (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION/DEEPFAKES/ELECTIONS] California Passes Election ‘Deepfake’ Laws, Forcing Social Media Companies to Take Action (New York Times) 
• [ONLINE HARMS/MISINFORMATION] How a fringe online claim about immigrants eating pets made its way to the debate stage (NBC News) 
• [CELLPHONE BAN] California Schools Must Restrict Phones Under New Law Signed by Newsom (New York Times) 
• [ONLINE HARMS/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE]  Instagram, Facing Pressure Over Child Safety Online, Unveils Sweeping Changes  (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ENVIRONMENT] A bottle of water per email: the hidden environmental costs of using AI chatbots (Washington Post) 
• [PRIVACY LAWSUIT] Facebook parent Meta Platforms beats lawsuit over Apple privacy, Sandberg disclosures (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Rethinking ‘Checks and Balances’ for the A.I. Age (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PRIVACY] Slack, Teams, Google Chat: Is There Any Safe Place to Complain About Work Online? (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/TELECOMMUNICATIONS] T-Mobile Strikes Deal With OpenAI (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PRIVACY]  LinkedIn is helping itself to users’ data for its AI, but you can opt out  (Washington Post)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PRIVACY] Commission on Civil Rights rings alarm bell on law enforcement use of AI tool (USA Today) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Andy Kessler: Section 230 Catches Up to AI (Wall Street Journal) 
• [DISINFORMATION] OPINION: James Kirchick: How Lying Became Disinformation; Guest Essay  (New York Times) 
• [DISINFORMATION/FOREIGN INTERFERENCE] OPINION: Amanda Bennett: How America can defeat the world’s most formidable information warrior(Washington Post) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/CONTENT MODERATION] OPINION: The Editorial Board: TikTok’s Bad Free-Speech Case (Wall Street Journal) 

(September 18 – 24, 2024)

Federal Court of Canada

• Federal Court decisions:
  • Rebel News Network Ltd. v. Canada (Attorney General) 

Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

• Information Commissioner’s Statement for Right to Know Week 2024  

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

•  Privacy Commissioner of Canada appears before Alberta Standing Committee reviewing the Personal Information Protection Act
• OPC collaborating with international regulators on privacy-protective age assurance  
•  Joint Statement on a Common International Approach to Age Assurance 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-87-1
    [2024-09-24 11:00:00]
    Corco – Licensing of a national, English-language discretionary service – Finalization of conditions of service – Public record: 2023-0248-8
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-218
    [2024-09-24 11:00:00]
    Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Toronto, Windsor and London, Ontario – Application to amend the broadcasting licence for the French-language AM radio station CBEF Windsor to add the rebroadcasting transmitter CJBC-4-FM London; application to amend the broadcasting licence for the French-language AM radio station CJBC Toronto to delete the rebroadcasting transmitter CJBC-4-FM London
  • Broadcasting information bulletin 2024-217
    [2024-09-24 11:00:00]
    Guidelines for all licensees of broadcasting undertakings serving the province of New Brunswick – Provincial election
  • Telecom decision 2024-216
    [2024-09-24 11:00:00]
    Forbearance from the regulation of high-capacity / digital data services interexchange private line services on certain additional routes – Public record: 8638-S1-01/98
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-215
    [2024-09-23 11:00:00]
    Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Kelowna and Salmon Arm, British Columbia – Application to change the authorized contours of CBUC-FM Salmon Arm, a rebroadcasting transmitter of the radio station CBTK-FM Kelowna
  • Telecom order 2024-214
    [2024-09-20 11:00:00]
    Bell Canada – Tariff Notice 7692 – Introduction of Service Provided in Out-of-Footprint Territory – Public record: Tariff Notice 7692
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-172-1
    [2024-09-19 11:00:00]
    Notice of hearing – 8 October 2024 – National Capital Region – Amendment of item 2 – Addition of an application as item 7
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-138-1
    [2024-09-19 11:00:00]
    Call for comments – Development of a regulatory policy for the distribution of described video and audio description – Extension to the deadlines for the submission of interventions and of replies
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-213
    [2024-09-19 11:00:00]
    Notice of hearing – 11 February 2025 – Yellowknife, Northwest Territories – Deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 21 October 2024

Google

• Google’s Data Commons expands to support more UN agencies
• Google at the 79th United Nations General Assembly
• UN Summit of the Future: AI opportunity for everyone   

Meta

•  How Our Llama Grant Recipients Are Tackling Global Issues 
•  Unlocking Potential: Our 2024 Responsible Business Practices Report   

Microsoft

• Global Governance: Goals and Lessons for AI 
• Microsoft at the 79th Session of United Nations General Assembly 
• Securing US Elections from Nation-State Adversaries 

OpenAI

• An update on our safety & security practices 

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days:  The Senate will be sitting from September 24 – 26, with a possible sitting day on September 27, 2024.
  • Bills on the Agenda:
    • S-237: An Act to establish the Foreign Influence Registry and to amend the Criminal Code  – At second reading in the Senate
    • C-26: An Act respecting cyber security, amending the Telecommunications Act and making consequential amendments to other Acts – At second reading in the Senate  
  • Meetings:
    • Standing Committee on Transport and Communications: Bill S-269, An Act respecting a national framework on advertising for sports betting – Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 9:00 AM ET  
    • Standing Committee on Transport and Communications: Bill S-269, An Act respecting a national framework on advertising for sports betting – Tuesday, September 25, 2024 at 6:45 PM ET  

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  The House of Commons will be sitting the week of September 23 – 27, 2024.
  • Bills on the Agenda:
    • C-412:  An Act to enact the Protection of Minors in the Digital Age Act and to amend the Criminal Code – Outside the Order of Precedence – First reading completed on September 16, 2024 
  • Meetings:
    • Standing Committee on Access to Information and Privacy and Ethics (ETHI): Federal Government’s Use of Technological Tools Capable of Extracting Personal Data from Mobile Devices and Computers – Tuesday, September 24, 2024, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    • Standing Committee on Public Accounts (PACP): Report 1, ArriveCAN, of the 2024 Reports of the Auditor General of Canada  – Wednesday, September 25, 2024, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 
    • Standing Committee on Access to Information and Privacy and Ethics (ETHI):Impact of Disinformation and of Misinformation on the Work of Parliamentarians  – Thursday, September 26, 2024, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of 23 to 27 September 2024:
  • The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the week of 23 to 27 September 2024. This is subject to change without notice.
    • Broadcasting Decisions:

• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Kelowna and Salmon Arm, British Columbia CBTK-FM Kelowna and its transmitter CBUC-FM Salmon Arm – Technical changes – Public record: 2024-0220-5

• Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Toronto, Windsor and London, Ontario, CJBC Toronto and CBEF Windsor – Licence amendments – Public records: 2024-0118-1 and 2024-0119-9

• The Miracle Channel Association, Across Canada, Corco – Licensing of a national, English-language discretionary service – Finalization of conditions of service – Public record: 2023-0248-8

Telecom Decisions

• Forbearance from the regulation of high-capacity / digital data services interexchange private line services on certain additional routes – Public record: 8638-S1-01/98

• Upcoming Hearings
  • September 14, 2023 – National Capital Region
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-206, View hearing documents (2023-206)
  • November 20, 2023 – Gatineau, Quebec
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-138, 2023-138-1 and 2023-138-2, View hearing documents (2023-138)
• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

Spectrum Management Consultations

• Consultation on a Policy, Licensing and Technical Framework for Supplemental Mobile Coverage by Satellite  – Closing date for comments: September 13, 2024. Closing date for reply to comments: October 25, 2024

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Right to Repair Consultation – Closing date for comments: September 26, 2024. 

• Improving Indigenous Access to Spectrum: Draft Indigenous Priority Window Spectrum Policy Framework – Closing date for comments: October 1, 2024 

• Consultation on a Policy, Licensing and Technical Framework for Supplemental Mobile Coverage by Satellite – closing date for comments: September 13, 2024 (closing date for reply to comments: October 24, 2024) 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Share your thoughts on the guidelines for consultations relating to official language minority communities and official languages- Deadline: October 9, 2024 (November 8, 2024  for members of official language minority communities) 

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