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