Weekly News (July 2, 2019)

Communications Governance Newsletter

Weekly News (July 2, 2019)

Compiled by Ian Steinberg with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

Communications Governance Observatory Monthly Podcast Series

• Podcast #8 with host and producer Sumana Naidu now available: Platform Regulation Part 1 with Dr. Tamara Shepherd (18 min)

Canadian News (June 25-July 1, 2019)

• [BROADCAST/TELECOM REGULATION] Panel reviewing broadcasting and telecommunications legislation releases report (Globe and Mail, paywall)
• [BROADCAST/PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion: Olive: Netflix is no cultural imperialist – it’s helping to save Canadian TV (Star)
• [JOURNALISM FUNDING] News content funding ‘major issue,’ panel says (Star)
• [ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS] Third-party advertisers start disclosing ad spending as election nears (Star)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/ELECTION COMMUNICATIONS] Twitter bans political ads during pre-campaign period ahead of federal vote (Global News)
• [ELECTIONS/FAKE NEWS] Opinion: Get ready for disinformation in election season (Spectator)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Spiral French fry sparks legal battle between McCain Foods, Idaho rival (Globe and Mail, paywall)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] AI companies appeal to government for more clarity in Copyright Act (Globe and Mail, paywall)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Opinion: Bawa & Tawfik: In an arms race of innovation, IP is critical (Globe and Mail, paywall)
• [SMART CITY] Sidewalk Labs reveals scope of $1.3-billion Toronto waterfront plan (Globe and Mail, paywall)
• [SMART CITY] Sidewalk Labs master plan for Quayside set to be made public today (Star)
• [SMART CITY] Critics fear Sidewalk Labs proposal would weaken city powers (Star)
• [CULTURAL FUNDING] NFB chair reappointed amid concerns from filmmakers about funding structure (CP)
• [POLICING SURVEILLANCE] Mounties put more eyes in the sky with expanding drone fleet (CTV)

International News (June 25-July 1, 2019)

• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Supreme Court Strikes Down Law Barring Vulgar Trademarks (New York Times)
• [FREEDOM OF INFORMATION] Opinion: The Supreme Court rewrote FOIA into the Freedom FROM Information Act (USA Today)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Judge: Andy Warhol didn’t violate Prince picture copyright (AP)
• [PRIVACY] States strain to curb sales of consumers’ private data (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION / PRIVACY] Facebook isn’t eavesdropping, but its app is stalking you; Firm collects more data than you may know, even if you try to prevent it (Star)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Nick Clegg denies misuse of Facebook influenced Brexit vote (Guardian)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Italy’s privacy watchdog fines Facebook 1 million euros (AP)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion: Facebook’s terrible idea (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion: If Facebook or Google create their own currency, they can control our lives (Guardian)
• [PRIVACY] Opinion: Stop Collecting Immigrants’ Social Media Data (NYT)
• [PRIVACY] Personal information for 22 million people was exposed. A court blames a federal agency. (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Wikipedia co-founder calls for social media strike over privacy issues (NY Post)
• [CYBERSECURITY] US businesses warned to prepare for Iran hacks after American cyberatttack (Washington Post, paywall)
• [SURVEILLANCE] China Snares Tourists’ Phones in Surveillance Dragnet by Adding Secret App (NYT)
• [AI/DEEPFAKES] Opinion: Deepfakes aren’t a tech problem. They’re a power problem (Guardian)

Press Releases and Decisions (June 25-July 1, 2019)

Supreme Court of Canada

• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] 1068754 Alberta Ltd. v. Québec (Agence du revenu) 2019 SCC 37 / 2019 CSC 37 Coram: Wagner C.J. and Abella, Moldaver, Karakatsanis, Gascon, Côté, Brown, Rowe and Martin JJ. The appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Quebec (Montréal), Number 500-09-025203-159, 2018 QCCA 8, dated January 8, 2018, heard on January 22, 2019, is dismissed with costs.

Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel

• What We Heard Report

Competition Bureau Canada

• Ticketmaster to pay $4.5 million to settle misleading pricing case
• Competition Bureau will not oppose merger between defence contractors Harris Corporation and L3 Technologies

CRTC

Policy Announcements:

• Telecom order 2019-228
  [2019-06-27 11:00:00]
  Streamline Order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff applications: Bell Canada TN 952 and TN 953; Northwestel Inc TN 1048
• Broadcasting decision 2019-227
  [2019-06-27 11:00:00]
  DENIED – Rogers Communications Canada Inc. – Across Canada – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the national, English-language direct-to-home pay-per-view service Rogers Sportsnet DTH PPV
• Telecom decision 2019-226
  [2019-06-27 11:00:00]
  CISC Emergency Services Working Group – Consensus report regarding technical specifications for real-time-text-based Next Generation 9-1-1 Text Messaging – Public record: 8621-C12-01/08
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2019-225
  [2019-06-27 11:00:00]
  Notice of hearing 5 September 2019 – Gatineau, Quebec – Deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 29 July 2019
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2019-127-1
  [2019-06-26 11:00:00]
  Notice of hearing – 11 July 2019 – Gatineau, Quebec – Withdrawal of Item 1
• Broadcasting decision 2019-224
  [2019-06-26 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – South Asian Broadcasting Corporation Inc. – Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the commercial ethnic specialty radio station CKYE-FM Vancouver and its transmitter CKYE-FM-1 Surrey – APPROVED – Application to amend the station’s condition of licence relating to the minimum number of cultural groups served and languages broadcast by reducing it from 15 to 12
• Broadcasting decision 2019-223
  [2019-06-25 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – La Coopérative des montagnes limitée – Radio communautaire – Edmundston, New Brunswick – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the French-language community radio station CFAI-FM
• Broadcasting decision 2019-222
  [2019-06-25 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Radio communautaire francophone de Montréal inc. – Montréal, Quebec – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the French-language community radio station CIBL-FM Montréal

Global Affairs Canada

• Minister Wilkinson welcomes the opening of Fujitsu’s new artificial intelligence headquarters in Vancouver 

Health Canada

• Keeping patients safe from potential cybersecurity risks with medical devices 

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government directs CRTC to place consumer interests and innovation at the forefront of telecom decisions
• Broadcasting and Telecommunications Panel releases What We Heard Report
• Government of Canada to announce high-speed Internet funding for rural British Columbia
• Minister Bains announces new recipients of the Digital Literacy Exchange Program

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

• The revised guide to industrial designs is now online

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Consider privacy implications when outsourcing functions to a third party

Facebook

• Offering Greater Transparency for Social Issue, Electoral or Political Ads in More Countries
• Global Feedback and Input on the Facebook Oversight Board for Content Decisions
• We’re Updating Our Terms of Service to Better Explain How Facebook Works
• A Second Update on Our Civil Rights Audit
• Addressing Sensational Health Claims

Twitter

• What to expect from Twitter ahead of the first #DemDebate
• Defining public interest on Twitter

Google

• Public Policy: It’s time for a new international tax deal

Upcoming Events

Senate of Canada

• No fixed and possible Senate sitting days this week; Senate reconvenes on September 17, 2019

Canadian House of Commons

• No fixed and possible House of Commons sitting days this week; House reconvenes on September 16, 2019

Innovation, Science and Economic Development

• Consultation on a Policy and Licensing Framework for Spectrum in the 3500 MHz Band

CRTC

Telecom Decision:

Bell Canada – Elimination of the ex ante price floor test for retail tariffs
Public record: 8663-B2-201808544

Upcoming Public Hearings:

• • July 11, 2019 – Gatineau, Quebec
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-127
    View hearing documents (2019-127)
  • September
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-225. View hearing documents (2019-225)

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings