Newsletter: April 14, 2020

Weekly News (April 14, 2020)
Compiled by Leandra Greenfield with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(April 7- April 14, 2020)

Canadian News

• [PLATFORM REGULATION] French ruling on Google prompts calls for action; Canada asked to start requiring pay for content (Financial Post)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] TekSavvy wants CRTC to approve lower rates for ISPs amid COVID-19 (Globe and Mail)
• [MEDIA FUNDING] CBC launches $2 million fund to support Canadian creators during COVID-19 (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] Alberta plan to use smartphones to enforce quarantines raises privacy questions (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] Ontario building massive health database to aid COVID-19 response (Toronto Star)
• [PRIVACY] COVID-19 contact tracing: Canadian company says authorities not interested in app that could help with virus (National Post)
• [PRIVACY] Increase in teleworking bureaucrats makes Canadian government more vulnerable to cyberthreats than ever: experts (National Post)
• [DEFAMATION] Court ruling supports Galloway’s request for documents in defamation case (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Video-conferencing company Zoom faces backlash over security concerns (Globe and Mail)

International News

• [PRIVACY] EU to Issue Guidance on Making Coronavirus Tracking Data Anonymous (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Fear grows for democracy as leaders seize new powers to fight the coronavirus (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Baltimore Plans Controversial Aerial Surveillance Program (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Apple And Google Partner For Unprecedented Joint COVID-19 Contact Tracing Effort (Forbes)
• [PRIVACY] How Smart Cities Are Protecting Against Coronavirus But Threatening Privacy (Forbes)
• [PRIVACY] OPINION/EDITORIAL: Privacy Cannot Be a Pandemic Casualty (NYT)
• [TELECOMMUNICATION POLICY] U.S. Officials Target Chinese State-Owned Telecom Provider (WSJ)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] U.S. Telecom Giants Take Different Paths to 5G; Carriers embrace different varieties of spectrum and battle over which is best (WSJ)
• [INTERNET POLICY] U.S. Allows Google Internet Project to Advance Only if Hong Kong Is Cut Out (WSJ)
• [INTERNET POLICY] A Partisan Debate Emerges Over Internet Dead Zones (WSJ)
• [CENSORSHIP] Chinese universities delete censorship notices for new coronavirus research (New York Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Bozelko: Hospitals are censoring doctors. That endangers the rest of us (Washington Post)
• [DEFAMATION] Harvard professor withdraws NY Times defamation lawsuit over Jeffrey Epstein story (National Post)
• [TRADEMARK] 3M Sues Mask-Seller for Alleged Gouging, Trademark Infringement (WSJ)
• [PATENT] In a first, China knocks U.S. from top spot in global patent race (National Post)

(April 7- April 14, 2020)

Canadian Heritage

• Supporting Canadians to Think Critically About Online Health Information

CRTC

• CRTC update on its proceedings further to COVID-19 pandemic

Competition Bureau Canada

• Competition Bureau statement on competitor collaborations during the COVID-19 pandemic

Elections Canada

• Official Voting Results: Forty-third General Election

Microsoft

• Mobilizing AI for Health to fight against COVID-19

Facebook

• Data for Good: New Tools to Help Health Researchers Track and Combat COVID-19
• Keeping WhatsApp Personal and Private
• Addressing Deceptive Advertising Practices

Apple

• Apple and Google partner on COVID-19 contact tracing technology

CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom notice of consultation 2020-83-1
  [2020-04-08 11:00:00]
  Call for comments – Show cause proceeding and call for comments – Distinction between residential and business wholesale high-speed access services – Changes to procedure – Revised deadline for submission of interventions: 4 May 2020 – Public record: 1011-NOC2020-0083
• Telecom notice of consultation 2019-420-1
  [2020-04-08 11:00:00]
  Call for comments – Access to in-building wire in multi-dwelling units – Changes to procedure – Revised deadline for submission of interventions: 7 May 2020 – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0420
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2019-379-2
  [2020-04-08 11:00:00]
  Notice of hearing 25 May 2020 – Gatineau, Quebec – Postponement of the public hearing
• Broadcasting decision 2020-119
  [2020-04-08 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – My Broadcasting Corporation – Milton, Ontario – Application to change the authorized contours of the English-language commercial radio station CJML-FM Milton
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2020-75-2
  [2020-04-07 11:00:00]
  Notice of hearing 18 June 2020 (previously 12 May 2020) – Gatineau, Quebec – Change of hearing date – New deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 14 May 2020 – Withdrawal of Item 11
• Broadcasting notice of consultation 2020-54-2
  [2020-04-07 11:00:00]
  Notice of hearing 8 June 2020 – Gatineau, Quebec – Addition of item 5 – New deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers for item 5 only: 14 May 2020
• Telecom order 2020-118
  [2020-04-07 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc. TN 1075A
• Telecom order 2020-117
  [2020-04-07 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc. TN 1073

Senate of Canada

• No sitting days this week
  • Adjourned until April 21, 2020

Canadian House of Commons

• No sitting days this week
  • Adjourned until April 20, 2020

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 April 13 to 17:

• Broadcasting Decision:
  • Decision relating to the following application considered under the Commission’s Part 1 process:
    • The Ontario Educational Communications Authority
      CICA-DT Toronto (TVO) its transmitter CICO-DT-59 Chatham – Technical changes
      Public record for this application: 2020-0019-9

Open Public Consultations

• Increasing High-Speed Broadband: Stakeholder and Partner Engagement (June 1, 2019 to June 20, 2020)
• Renewal of CBC’s licences (closed; Next step: Public hearing on May 25, 2020)
• 2019-217 Co-development of a new Indigenous Broadcasting Policy (closed; Next step: Preliminary conclusions and determinations)

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings