Newsletter: February 25, 2020

Weekly News (February 25, 2020)
Compiled by Fizza Kulvi with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(February 17 – February 25, 2020)

Canadian News

• [PLATFORM REGULATION] ‘The news industry is in trouble’: Canadian media outlets team up to demand tax and regulatory changes (National Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Google, Netflix in Ottawa’s crosshairs for regulation (Globe and Mail)
• [BROADCASTING POLICY] Gaming industry to be exempt from digital content rules (Globe and Mail)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Telus says spending, 5,000 jobs at risk if CRTC pushes MVNOs (The Star)
• [DEFAMATION/LIBEL] Supreme Court decision could help former N.S. Crown lawyer sue Premier for libel (Globe and Mail)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Ontario court rules in favour of escort agency owners in constitutional challenge to prostitution laws; Fantasy World Escorts owners successfully argued that they were charged under laws that violate sex workers’ Charter rights to safety and freedom of expression (Globe and Mail)
• [BROADCAST/TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] OPINION: Raboy: Yale panel on media deserves a full airing (The Star)
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] Independent theatres accuse Cineplex of anti-competitive behaviour (The Star)
• [CULTURAL FUNDING] Richmond Hill arts community angered by council’s decision to cut grant (The Star)
• [PRIVACY] LifeLabs challenges tribunal over jurisdiction in cyberattack complaint (Vancouver Sun)
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] Black stories. Black voices. Black spaces. This is media by and for Black Canadians (The Star)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Did Huawei bring down Nortel?; Corporate espionage, theft, and the parallel rise and fall of two tech giants (National Post)
• [PRIVACY] Is the facial recognition technology by GTA police illegal? (The Star)

International News

• [SURVEILLANCE] Tapping Trump’s Anger About 2016 Surveillance, White House Seeks Overhaul of Spying Law (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] EU Plans Rules for Facial-Recognition Technology (WSJ)
• [CYBERSECURITY] The Cybersecurity 202: Americans should not be confident about security of 2020 election, experts say (Washington Post)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Sprint, T-Mobile Revise Merger Terms (WSJ)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] US ‘very concerned’ over Huawei’s role in UK 5G network (The Guardian)
• [PRIVACY] New Mexico Sues Google Over Children’s Privacy Violations (NYT)
• [PRIVACY] Wells Fargo Reaches Settlement With Government Over Fake-Accounts Scandal (WSJ)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] How conservatives learned to wield power inside Facebook (Washington Post)
• [CRYPTOCURRENCY] Does the U.S. Need a National Digital Currency? (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Should Government Halt the Use of Facial-Recognition Technology? (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] What’s the Best Way to Use the Cloud to Store Personal Data? (WSJ)

(February 17 – February 25, 2020)

Supreme Court of Canada

[SOLICITOR-CLIENT PRIVILEGE] Attorney General of Nova Scotia representing Her Majesty the Queen in Right of the Province of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil and Diana Whalen v. Alex M. Cameron (N.S.) (Civil) (By Leave) (38688): “The motion for a stay of execution is dismissed. The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, Number CA 479331, 2019 NSCA 38, dated May 16, 2019, is dismissed with costs.”

Canadian House of Commons

• Canadian Heritage (CHPC)
  • Feb. 24, 2020, 3:30 – 5:30 PM (EDT) Briefing by the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Legislative Review Panel on the Report “Canada’s Communication Future: Time to Act”

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

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

Canadian Heritage

• Modernization of the Canada Periodical Fund: Adapting to the Digital Era

 Elections Canada

• Tabling of the Report on the 43rd General Election

 Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada invites small businesses to propose innovative solutions leading to alternate technology and improved accessibility

 Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Commissioners launch joint investigation into Clearview AI amid growing concerns over use of facial recognition technology

 Microsoft

• Another step in testing ElectionGuard

 Facebook

• Big tech needs more regulation

 CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom Order 2020-69
  • [2020-02-21 11:00AM]
  • Zip Telecom Inc. – Approval of a tariff application
• Telecom Order 2020-68
  • [2020-02-21 11:00AM]
  • Northwestel Inc. – Interim approval of a tariff applications
• Compliance and Enforcement Decision 2020-67
  • [2020-02-20 11:00AM]
  • 9250-5114 Québec Inc., operating as Rénovation Domicili-air – Violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules
• Telecom Order 2020-66
  • [2020-02-20 11:00AM]
  • Forbearance from the regulation of Canadian telecommunications common carriers’ international telecommunications service agreements and arrangements for the carriage of traffic into or out of Canada
• Telecom Order 2020-65
  • [2020-02-19 11:00AM]
  • Revocation of basic international telecommunications services licences
• Broadcasting Decision 2020-64
  • [2020-02-18 11:00AM]
  • Addition of Heritage 4K to the List of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution
• Broadcasting Decision 2020-63
  • [2020-02-17 11:00AM]
  • CFWC-FM Brantford and CKPC Brantford – Technical changes and licence amendments
• Telecom Order 2020-62
  • [2020-02-19 11:00AM]
  • Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the First Mile Connectivity Consortium in the Telecom Notice of Consultation 2019-45 proceeding

Senate of Canada

• No relevant Senate of Canada sitting days this week.

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & possible sitting days this week: Feb 24 – Feb 28
• International Trade (CIIT)
  • Feb. 25, 2020, 9 – 2 PM (EDT) Bill C-4, An Act to Implement the Agreement between Canada, the United States of America and the United Mexican States

CRTC

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.

• Anticipated releases for the week of Feb 24-28
• Broadcasting Decisions: Decisions relating to the following applications considered by the Commission at the 5 November 2019 public hearing:
  • CFPV-FM Radio Ltd.
    CFPV-FM Pemberton
    Public record for this application: 2018-0694-4
  • CKPM-FM Radio Ltd.
    CKPM-FM Port Moody
    Public record for this application: 2018-0695-2
  • CHMZ-FM Radio Ltd.
    CIMM-FM Radio Ltd.
    CHMZ-FM Tofino and CIMM-FM Ucluelet
    Public record for these applications: 2019-0179-4, 2019-0181-9, 2018-0692-8 and 2018-0693-6
• Telecom Decisions:
  • KMTS, a division of Bell Canada – Implementation of local competition for TBayTel in the exchanges of Kenora and Keewatin, Ontario
    Public record: 8663-K1-201903071

Upcoming Public Hearings:

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings