Newsletter: January 21, 2020

Weekly News (January 21, 2020)

Compiled by Fizza Kulvi and Leandra Greenfield with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(January 14 – January 21, 2020)

Canadian News

• [PRIVACY] Ottawa considering ‘significant and meaningful’ compensation for privacy breach victims (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] Liberals, Conservatives and NDP face competition bureau investigation into how they use Canadians’ personal data (Toronto Star)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] Promised 25 per cent wireless rate cut is on top of recent reductions: Bains (National Post)
• [PRIVACY] New Toronto rules for data collection won’t be in place before final vote on Sidewalk Labs’ smart city project (Toronto Star)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Progress Alberta, a group targeted by Jason Kenney, threatens legal action over public inquiry (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] StatsCan eyeing alternate data sources as chief says surveys just don’t cut it anymore (Financial Post)
• [PRIVACY] RBC files AI patents to predict clients’ needs as big tech encroaches on bankers’ turf (Financial Post)
• [PRIVACY] What kind of data is my new car collecting about me? Nearly everything it can, apparently (Globe and Mail)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Carpay: Canadian universities must not stifle peaceful, unpopular expression (Globe and Mail)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Cosh: Lock up the prime minister? Or the digital advertisers? (National Post)

International News

• [PRIVACY/PLATFORM REGULATION] European Regulators Target Big Tech Companies (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Lawmakers Call for Investigation of Fintech Firm Yodlee’s Data Selling (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PRIVACY/PLATFORM REGULATION] Europe’s privacy overhaul has led to $126 million in fines — but regulators are just getting started (CNBC)
• [PRIVACY/PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook is ordered to hand over data about thousands of apps that may have violated user privacy (The Washington Post)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY/PRIVACY] Johnson will defy US and allow use of Huawei, says top security adviser (The Guardian)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Robocalls rang up a new high in 2019. Two or more daily is average in some states (USA Today)
• [PRIVACY] SEC Market-Surveillance Project Hits Snag Over Hacker Fears (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PRIVACY] Thousands of Chinese Students’ Data Exposed on Internet (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PRIVACY] Grindr and OkCupid Spread Personal Details, Study Finds (The New York Times)
• [PRIVACY/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Marketers and Ad Agencies Ask Google Not to Kill Cookies Too Soon (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PRIVACY] Hospitals Give Tech Giants Access to Detailed Medical Records (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PRIVACY] The Secretive Company That Might End Privacy as We Know It (The New York Times)
• [PRIVACY] Cash, Plastic or Hand? Amazon Envisions Paying with a Wave (The Wall Street Journal)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Google Pushes ‘Sensible’ Ideas for How to Regulate AI (The Wall Street Journal)

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

• Patent and trademark agent annual maintenance (renewal) deadline: March 31, 2020

CRTC News Releases:

• Broadcasting Regulatory Policy 2020-4
  • [2020-01-15 11:00AM]Revised list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution – Annual compilation of amendments
• Broadcasting Decision 2020-5
  • [2020-01-15 11:00AM]APPROVED – Rogers Communication Canada Inc. – Across Canada – Application to add the non-Canadian service MUTV to the List of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution
• Broadcasting Decision 2020-6
  • [2020-01-15 11:00AM]APPROVED – VMedia Inc. – Across Canada – Application to add the non-Canadian service ducktv to the List of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution
• Compliance and Enforcement and Telecom Decision 2020-7
  • [2020-01-17 11:00AM]Application to allow Bell Canada and its affiliates to block certain fraudulent voice calls on a trial basis – Requests for disclosure of information filed in confidence and motion for a non-disclosure agreement – Public Record: 8638-B2-201905879
• Telecom Order 2020-8
  • [2020-01-20 11:00AM] TELUS Communication Inc. – Approval of a tariff application

Senate of Canada

• No fixed and possible Senate sitting days this week; Senate reconvenes on February 4, 2020

Canadian House of Commons

• No fixed and possible House of Commons sitting days this week; House reconvenes on January 27, 2020

CRTC Anticipated Releases:

The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the coming week. This list may be incomplete and is subject to change without notice.

Broadcasting Decisions: Decisions relating to the following application announced in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2019-127:

• Hope FM Ministries Limited
  CINU-FM Truro – Licence Renewal
  Public record for this application: 2018-0858-6

Upcoming Public Hearings:

• February 12, 2020 – Montréal (Québec)
  To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC CRTC 2019-358 and 2019-358-1
  View hearing documents (2019-358)
• February 18, 2020 (previously 13 January 2020) – Gatineau, Quebec
  Review of mobile wireless services. Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2019-57 and 2019-57-1
  View hearing documents (2019-57)

Open Proceedings:

CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings

CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings