Newsletter: March 17, 2020

Weekly News (March 17, 2020)
Compiled by Fizza Kulvi with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(March 9 – March 17, 2020)

Canadian News

• [CULTURAL FUNDING] Canada’s live-music industry calls for government support as coronavirus cripples concerts (Globe and Mail)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] OPINION: Corcoran: Telcos face regulatory virus with Liberals’ order to cut wireless (Financial Post)
• [CYBERSECURITY] China, Russia interfering with Canadian affairs (The Star)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Military concerned about Chinese access to networks as Huawei decision looms (National Post)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Could a hacker crash your car? (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Concerns raised after facial recognition software found to have racial bias (The Star)
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: Geist: Why the coming battle over Canadian privacy reform starts at home (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: Soupcoff: Big Brother is watching you – literally (National Post)
• [DISINFORMATION] Cocaine and drinking bleach don’t kill the coronavirus. How we are fighting the misinformation campaigns (The Star)
• [DISINFORMATION] OPINION: Renzetti: The coronavirus is the threat, but it’s trust that may never recover (Globe and Mail)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSIOM] OPINION: Gee: The librarian who refused to back down in the name of free speech (Globe and Mail)

International News

• [CYBER RIGHTS] OPINION: Funk and Linzer: How the coronavirus could trigger a backslide on freedom around the world (Washington Post)
• [INTERNET ACCESS] ‘It shouldn’t take a pandemic’: Coronavirus exposes Internet inequality among U.S. students as schools close their doors (Washington Post)
• [CYBERSECURITY] The Cybersecurity 202: The federal government may be about to engage in the biggest telework experiment yet (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Amid virus crisis, official announce health care tech rules (The Star)
• [PRIVACY] Senate Fails to Approve Renewal of Domestic-Surveillance Powers (Wall Street Journal)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Hackers are seizing on coronavirus fears to steal data, researchers and U.S. regulators warn (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Brussels Report: Frustrated European Regulators Seek Tweaks to GDPR (WSJ)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/CENSORSHIP] Muting Coronavirus Anger, China Empowers its Internet Police (NYT)

(March 9 – March 17, 2020)

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

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

Canadian Heritage

• The Government of Canada Consults with Indigenous Peoples on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act

CRTC

• Canada to host international regulators forum in October 2020

 Competition Bureau Canada

• Competition Bureau takes action to stop weight loss claims by seller of ‘WeightOFF Max!’ and ‘Forskolin Nx’
• Subscription traps: “no-strings attached” trial offers could leave you with your hands tied

 Information Commissioner of Canada

• Information Commissioner initiates a systemic investigation into the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

 Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• OPC blog post: The SIM card swap scam: What it is and what you can do to minimize risk
• OPC has new tips to help Canadians fight fraud

Supreme Court of Canada

• Judgements to be Rendered in Leave Applications:
  • [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] MediaTube Corp. v. Bell Canada

 Microsoft

• New action to disrupt world’s largest online criminal network

 Facebook

• Keeping People Safe and Informed About the Coronavirus

Amazon

• Amazon ramps hiring, opening 100,000 new roles to support people relying on Amazon’s service in this stressful time
• Amazon’s actions to help customers, communities, and employees affected by COVID-19

 CRTC

News Releases:

• Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-94
  • [2020-03-12 11:00AM]
  • APPROVED – Addition of ET NOW to List of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution
• Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-90
  • [2020-03-10 11:00AM]
  • Stingray Hits – Licensing of a discretionary service
• Telecom Decision CRTC 2020-92
  • [2020-03-12 11:00AM]
  • Bell Mobility Inc. – Application to review and vary the Broadband Fund’s pricing and affordability eligibility criterion for mobile wireless broadband Internet access projects
• Telecom Decision CRTC 2020-91
  • [2020-03-11 11:00AM]
  • Wireless Code – Application by the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and the National Pensioners Federation seeking clarification and enforcement of rules regarding prepaid balances
• Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-90
  • [2020-03-11 11:00AM]
  • APPROVED – Stingray Group Inc. – Across Canada – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate the currently exempt, national discretionary service known as Stingray Hits

Senate of Canada

• No relevant Senate of Canada sitting days this week.

Canadian House of Commons

• No relevant House of Commons sitting days this week.

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 Mar 16 to 20

• Broadcasting Decisions:
  Final offer arbitration request by Rogers Media Inc. regarding the distribution of Sportsnet and Sportsnet One by Bragg Communication Incorporated
  Public record for this application: 2019-1044-8
• Telecom Decisions:
  TELUS Communications Inc. and the Canadian Network Operators Consortium Inc. – Requests for disclosure of information filed in confidence as part of the Telecom Notice of Consultation 2019-57 proceeding, and related procedural requests
  Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0057

Upcoming Public Hearings:

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings