Weekly Newsletter for February 18, 2025

Weekly News (February 18, 2025)

Compiled by Brad McNeil and Serra Hasiloglu with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(February 12 – 18, 2025)
Canadian News

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COMPETITION] Competition Bureau says it’s probing whether landlords are using AI to set rents (Globe and Mail)
• [BIG TECH/COMPETITION] Google Canada denies abusing market power in Competition Bureau suit (Financial Post)
• [BIG TECH/ONLINE NEWS] Torstar sues Meta for unlawful breach of contract after online news bill came into effect (Globe and Mail)
• [ELECTIONS] Threats to democratic integrity pose challenge for Canadian elections (Globe and Mail)
• [HATE SPEECH/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/CENSORSHIP] Toronto District School Board committee goes forward with antisemitism strategy (Toronto Star)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS/INFRASTRUCTURE/COMPETITION] Wholesale access helps ‘maximize’ value of fibre internet infrastructure: Telus CFO (Financial Post)
• [INDIGENOUS CREATORS/COMMUNITY TRADEMARK] Protecting and promoting Indigenous creators: Mikmawitasik: Mi’kmaq-Made Mark initiative authenticates creators (PNI Atlantic News)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT] Publishers sue Canadian AI darling Cohere alleging copyright and trademark infringement (Financial Post)
• [PRIVACY/LAWSUIT] ‘Amongst the trusted’: How private police chat groups blur and breach ethical lines (Global News)
• [PRIVACY] Canada’s privacy czar launches investigation into student information data breach(Toronto Star)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/CYBERSECURITY] AI in everyday tech brings hidden cybersecurity risks (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY/CYBERSECURITY] How to shrink your digital footprint and boost online security (Globe and Mail)
• [BROADCASTING POLICY/CANADIAN CONTENT] OPINION: Michael Geist: Trump brings a reckoning for our protectionist CanCon and sabre-rattling tech policies (Globe and Mail)

International News

• [BIG TECH/POLITICAL INFLUENCE/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PRIVACY] EU ditches plans to regulate tech patents, AI liability, online privacy (Reuters)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION]  UN Censors Criticism of Saudi Arabia at Internet Conference(Human Rights Watch)
• [ELECTIONS] Vance meets German far-right AfD leader amid election interference criticism(Reuters)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/SCAM] Italian police freeze cash from AI-voice scam that targeted business leaders (Reuters)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT] UK copyright law consultation ‘fixed’ in favour of AI firms, peer says (Guardian)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] UK to explore use of Anthropic’s AI chatbot Claude for public services (Reuters)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT] Bollywood music labels seek to challenge OpenAI in India copyright lawsuit (Reuters)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/DATA CENTERS] UK’s Segro plans data centre strategy shift as AI booms (Reuters)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/DATA CENTERS] AI Data Center With Up to 3 Gigawatts of Power Is Envisioned for South Korea (Wall Street Journal)
• [BIG TECH/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/WEALTH MANAGEMENT] AI to transform wealth management, Microsoft executive says (Reuters)
• [BIG TECH/POLITICAL INFLUENCE/PRIVACY] Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS (Washington Post)
• [BIG TECH/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OpenAI Rejects Elon Musk’s $97.4 Billion Bid for Control of the Company (New York Times)
• [BIG TECH/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Apple Aims to Boost Vision Pro with AI Features, Spatial Content App (Bloomberg)
• [BIG TECH/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Meta Plans Major Investment Into AI-Powered Humanoid Robots (Bloomberg)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/HATE SPEECH] Scarlett Johansson slams ‘misuse of AI’ over viral video featuring celebrity deep fakes protesting Kanye West’s antisemitism (Toronto Star)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT/ART] ‘Mass theft’: Thousands of artists call for AI art auction to be cancelled (Guardian)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/NEWS] AI chatbots unable to accurately summarise news, BBC finds(BBC)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/NEWS/BANKING] AI-generated content raises risks of more bank runs, UK study shows (Reuters)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Why Do AI Chatbots Have Such a Hard Time Admitting ‘I Don’t Know’? (Wall Street Journal)

(February 12 – 18, 2025)

Global Affairs Canada

• News release:
  • Minister Joly announces support for digital security of human rights defenders

Public Safety Canada

• News release:
  • Government of Canada invests in new technology to help search and rescue volunteers

Canadian Heritage:

• News release:
  • The Government of Canada calls for stronger international cooperation on digital governance at UNESCO
  • Government of Canada invests more than $1.4 billion to strengthen official languages education across Canada

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Statement:
  • Statement by the Privacy Commissioner regarding the data breach at PowerSchool

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Speeches:
  • Bram Abramson to the National Campus and Community Radio Association’s Station Managers’ Summit
  • Nathalie Théberge to the Digital Media at the Crossroads Conference
• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Telecom order 2025-46
    [2025-02-17 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves the following tariff application: The Westport Telephone Company, Limited, TN 48
  • Telecom notice of consultation 2024-318-1
    [2025-02-14 16:00:00]
    Notice of hearing – Making it easier for consumers to shop for Internet services – Changes to procedure – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0318
  • Telecom notice of consultation 2024-295-2
    [2025-02-14 16:00:00]
    Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Enhancing self-service mechanisms – Changes to procedure – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0295
  • Telecom notice of consultation 2024-294-2
    [2025-02-14 16:00:00]
    Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Removing barriers to switching plans – Changes to procedure – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0294
  • Telecom notice of consultation 2024-293-2
    [2025-02-14 16:00:00]
    Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Enhancing customer notification – Changes to procedure – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0293
  • Telecom order 2025-45
    [2025-02-14 16:00:00]
    Broadband Fund – Change requests – Northwestel Inc.’s Yukon fibre project – February2025 – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0191
  • Broadcasting decision 2025-44
    [2025-02-13 11:00:00]
    Vista Radio Ltd. – Various locations in British Columbia – Application to change the ownership and control of 21 English-language commercial radio stations in British Columbia
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-265-1
    [2025-02-11 11:00:00]
    CFOS Owen Sound – Conversion to the FM band – Finalization of conditions of service

OpenAI

• OpenAI and Guardian Media Group launch content partnership

Meta

• Partnering With Artists for the AI Action Summit in Paris

Microsoft

• Introducing CoreAI – Platform and Tools
• Accelerating Europe’s Competitiveness
• Safer Internet Day 2025: Tackling abusive AI-generated content risks through education and empowerment

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days:  Parliament is prorogued – The prorogation of the first session of the 44^th Parliament was proclaimed on January 6, 2025. Parliamentary business, including committee business (other than the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, Standing Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest for Senatorsand the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight), is ended and will reconvene on March 24, 2025 for the second session of the 44^th Parliament.

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  The 1st session of the 44th Parliament was prorogued on January 6, 2025. Prorogation occurs when the Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, issues a proclamation putting an end to a parliamentary session. In practice, as soon as Parliament is either prorogued or dissolved, all committee activity ceases and, as such, all orders of reference and committee studies lapse. 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of 17 to 21 February 2025:
  • The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions, notices of consultation, orders and/or regulatory policies in the week of 17 to 21 February 2025. This is subject to change without notice. 
  • Broadcasting Notices of Consultation:
    • Notice of hearing
      The Path Forward – Supporting Canadian and Indigenous audio content
      Gatineau
    • Notice of application received
      Rogers Communications Inc.
      Across Canada
  • Telecom Orders:
• Broadband Fund – Change request – TELUS Communications Inc.’s mobile project in Quebec (including Route 138)
  Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Broadband Fund – Change request – Rogers Communications Canada Inc.’s Ontario transport fibre project – February 2025
  Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Groupe Maskatel Québec L.P. – Introduction of Local Service Request Rejection Charge
  Public records: Tariff Notices 93 and 93A
• Telecom Regulatory Policy:
• Review of video relay service
  Public record: 1011-NOC2021-0102
• Upcoming hearings:
  • March 27, 2025 – National Capital Region
    Notice of hearing – The Commission intends to consider the following applications, subject to interventions, without the appearance of the parties in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-18 – View hearing documents (2025-18
  • March 31, 2025 – Gatineau (Québec)
    Notice of hearing – The Path Forward – Defining “Canadian program” and supporting the creation and distribution of Canadian programming in the audio-visual sector in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-288 – View hearing documents (2024-288)            
  • May 12, 2025 – Gatineau (Québec)
    Notice of hearing -The Path Forward – Working towards a sustainable Canadian broadcasting system – Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-2 – View hearing documents (2025-2)
  • June 10, 2025 – Gatineau (Québec)
    Notice of hearing – Making it easier for consumers to shop for Internet services – Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-318 – View hearing documents (2024-318)
• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

Spectrum Management Consultations

• Consultation on Changes to Licensing Requirements and Conditions of Licence on Space Debris Mitigation – Respondents should submit their comments no later than February 25, 2025 to ensure consideration 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-20) Call for comments – Improving the routing of 9-8-8 calls and texts –  Deadline for submission of replies: 10 March 2025 
• (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-294-1) Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Removing barriers to switching plans – Changes to procedure – Revised deadline for submission of replies: 14 March 2025  
• (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-295-1) Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Enhancing self-service mechanisms – Revised deadline for submission of replies: 12 March 2025   
• (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-293-1) Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Enhancing customer notification – Changes to procedure – Revised deadline for submission of replies: 28 February 2025   
• (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2025-10) Call for comments – Implementing a retail Internet service subsidy in the Far North – Deadline for submission of replies: 28 February2025
• Share your thoughts on enhancing self-service – End date: March 12, 2025
• Share your thoughts about removing barriers to switching plans – End date: February 28, 2025
• Share your thoughts on market dynamics and sustainability of Canada’s broadcasting system – End date: February 24, 2025 
• Share your thoughts on making shopping for Internet easier – End date: February 20, 2025
• Share your thoughts on the implementation of an Internet subsidy in the Far North –  End date: February 18, 2025 

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

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