Newsletter: April 21, 2020

Weekly News (April 21, 2020)
Compiled by Fizza Kulvi with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(April 14 – April 21, 2020)

Canadian News

• [CULTURAL FUNDING] Ottawa to give $500-million to cultural and sporting sectors (Globe and Mail)
• [INTERNET POLICY] Internet users may face higher prices, fewer options in COVID-19 fallout (Globe and Mail)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Canada’s 5G technology roll-out could be delayed (Globe and Mail)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Canada watching ‘closely’ after Google ordered to work out repayment to French news organizations, publishers (The Star)
• [PRIVACY] The privacy issues of letting Big Tech tackle the pandemic (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: There is a way to track coronavirus through people’s data and protect their privacy (National Post)
• [HEALTH DATA] Canadian governments playing ‘paternalistic’ PR games with COVID-19 information, critics say (The Star)
• [HEALTH DATA] OPINION: Kassam: Ontario’s lack diversity data for COVID-19 is an embarrassment (Globe and Mail)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Canadian coronavirus response workers targeted in ransomware attack, says cybersecurity report (Financial Post)
• [CULTURAL POLICY] Going digital not easy for cultural institutions (Globe and Mail)

International News

• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook and Google to be forced to share advertising revenue with Australian companies (The Guardian)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Pandemic builds momentum for broadband infrastructure (WSJ)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] FCC allows Ligado to deploy low-power nationwide 5G network (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Governments around the world deploy smartphones in effort to halt infections (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Coronavirus tracking apps meet resistance in privacy-conscious Europe (Washington Post)
• [CYBERSECURITY] The Cybersecurity 202: Congress way of remote voting, meeting options during coronavirus pandemic (Washington Post)
• [CYBERSECURITY] The Cybersecurity 202: Coronavirus pandemic has not stopped cyberattacks on hospitals and other vital infrastructure (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Take YouTube’s Dangers Seriously (NYT)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] OPINION: Zuckerberg: How data can aid the fight against covid-19 (Washington Post)

(April 14 – April 21, 2020)

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada partners with the telecommunications sector to ensure Canadians abroad receive text messages containing key Global Affairs Canada information during the COVID-19 outbreak

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Commissioner publishes framework to assess privacy-impactful initiatives in response to COVID‑19

 Microsoft

• Closing the data divide: the need for open data

 Facebook

• Keeping People Safe and Informed About the Coronavirus
• An Update on Our Work to Keep People Informed and Limit Misinformation About COVID-19

Apple

• Apple makes mobility data available to aid COVID-19 efforts

CRTC

News Releases:

• Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-126
  [2020-04-17 11:00AM]
  APPROVED – The Ontario Educational Communications Authority – Toronto, Ontario – Application to amend the broadcasting licence for the English-language educational television station CICA-DT Toronto (TVO) in order to change the channel of its transmitter CICO-DT-59 Chatham

Senate of Canada

• Next scheduled sitting: June 2, 2020

Canadian House of Commons

• Next scheduled sitting: May 25, 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 20 to 24:

• Telecom Decisions:
  Bell Canada – Request for forbearance from the regulation of line-sharing and unbundled local loop connecting links
  Public record for this application: 8640-B2-201904334

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceeding