Newsletter: August 4, 2020

Weekly News (August 4, 2020)
Compiled by Leandra Greenfield with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(July 28- August 3, 2020)

Canadian News

• [PRIVACY/CONTACT TRACING] Ottawa launches smartphone app designed to alert users about contact with virus cases (The Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY/CONTACT TRACING] New Ontario law requiring personal info for dining in prompts privacy concerns (CBC)
• [CONTACT TRACING] Rollout of COVID Alert app faces criticism over accessibility (CBC)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Meng defence argues document disclosure wouldn’t harm Canada’s national security (CTV/CP)
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP] NordStar takeover of Toronto Star publisher cleared to go ahead early next week (The Star)
• [FREEDOM OF INFORMATION] Alberta information commissioner finds public interest in information often not considered (CBC)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Supreme Court of Canada will hear Quebec comedian Mike Ward’s appeal (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] ‘Snooping’ Central Health employee accessed patient diagnoses, personal info in 2-year privacy breach: CEO (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] Health records found at Fort Simpson dump may have been stolen: report (CBC)
• [INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY] Drug prices can go too low (Financial Post)
• [PRIVACY] Privacy officials say LifeLabs has asked court to limit their breach report (Toronto Star)
• [PRIVACY] CAMH, Western among Canadian organizations affected by ransomware attack on Blackbaud (Globe and Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Report finds Mount Pearl breached privacy law by sending employee complaints to Steve Kent (CBC)
• [PRIVACY] U of L health data breach affects more than 1,200 patients (CBC)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Shaw Mobile launches in Alberta, B.C., alongside Shaw’s Freedom Mobile (Toronto Star)

International News

• [ANTITRUST/PLATFORM REGULATION] Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google grilled on Capitol Hill over their market power (Washington Post)
• [ANTITRUST] The biggest takeaways from the big-tech antitrust hearing (Washington Post)
• [ANTITRUST/PLATFORM REGULATION] ‘This Is a New Phase’: Europe Shifts Tactics to Limit Tech’s Power (NYT)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Commerce Department Asks F.C.C. to Narrow Protections for Web Platforms (NYT)
• [ALGORITHM REGULATION) New Zealand claims world first in setting standards for government use of algorithms (The Guardian)
• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP/ PLATFORM REGULATION] Microsoft Said to Be in Talks to Buy TikTok, as Trump Weighs Curtailing App (NYT)
• [INTERNET POLICY] Congressional leaders urge Trump administration to release funds to U.S. Internet freedom organization (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Temperature Checks Raise Privacy Concerns as Europeans Return to Offices; European regulators are investigating companies for checking body temperatures (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] This Tool Could Protect Your Photos From Facial Recognition (NYT)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Facebook bows to Brazil judge, blocks 12 accounts worldwide (Toronto Star)
• [CENSORSHIP] Trump’s coronavirus retweets spark claims of censorship (CTV News)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] It’s not just the United States: These governments see TikTok as a growing problem (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Federal judge whose son was slain issues tearful plea for better protection of personal information (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] India’s decision to check the power of Chinese tech should be followed by other democracies (Washington Post]
• [CENSORSHIP] Abductions, Censorship and Layoffs: Pakistani Critics Are Under Siege (NYT)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Jamaica dreadlocks school student (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Facial Recognition’s Next Big Play: The Sports Stadium (WSJ)
• [CYBERSECURITY] 3 charged in massive Twitter hack, including alleged teenage ‘mastermind’ (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/CENSORSHIP] Turkey passes social media regulation bill that could increase online censorship (Global News)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/CENSORSHIP] Curvy influencers say TikTok banned their body-centric videos (New York Post)
• [DEFAMATION] Australia Tries to Shed Status as Defamation Hotspot (WSJ)
• [CENSORSHIP] OPINION: Devine: Big Tech must be brought to heel over election influencing (New York Post)
• [DEFAMATION] OPINION: Wemple: Sarah Palin’s case against the New York Times shows how hard it is to sue the media (Washington Post)

(July 28- August 3, 2020)

Global Affairs Canada

• Canada welcomes European Union’s announcement of new cyber sanctions listings

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada tracks progress on reducing prices of wireless services
• Residents of rural regions in Quebec will benefit from faster Internet

Competition Bureau Canada

• Competition Bureau invites feedback on updated Competitor Collaboration Guidelines

The Federal Court of Appeal

• [Patent] Salt Canada Inc. v. Baker

Supreme Court of Canada

• [Freedom of expression] Mike Ward v. Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, et al. (Leave to appeal granted)

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada:

• Federal and Ontario privacy commissioners support use of COVID Alert application subject to ongoing monitoring of its privacy protections and effectiveness

Copyright Board

• [Decision] Re: Sound Tariff 6.A – Use of Recorded Music to Accompany Dance (2013-2018)
  • Reasons
  • Tariff

Google

• Sundar Pichai’s testimony to the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust

 Apple

• Apple Reports Third Quarter Results

 Amazon

• Amazon receives FCC approval for Project Kuiper satellite constellation

CRTC

News Releases:

• Broadcasting decision 2020-239
  [2020-07-31 11:00:00]
  DENIED – Groupe Médias Pam inc. – Saint-Constant, Quebec – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the French-language commercial radio station CJMS Saint-Constant
• Broadcasting decision 2020-238
  [2020-07-31 11:00:00]
  DENIED – 9116-1299 Québec inc. – Maniwaki, Quebec – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the French-language commercial radio station CFOR-FM Maniwaki – DENIED – Request for an extension to the deadline for the filing of the documentation required to fulfill the commitments made to the Commission as part of the public hearing
• Telecom order 2020-237
  [2020-07-30 11:00:00]
  TELUS Communications Inc. – Request for ratification of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) Access to Individual Line Service charges – Public record: Tariff Notice 638
• Broadcasting decision 2020-236
  [2020-07-29 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Rogers Media Inc. – Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta – Application to amend the broadcasting licence of the English-language television station CKEM-DT
• Broadcasting decision 2020-235
  [2020-07-28 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – TELUS Communications Inc. – Across Canada – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate a national on demand station

Senate of Canada

• No sitting days this week

Canadian House of Commons

• No 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 August 3-7:

Broadcasting Decisions

Decisions relating to the following applications considered under the Commission’s Part 1 process:

• Applications by various licensees to renew the broadcasting licences for various television services

Open Public Consultations

• Call for comments – Review of the approach to rate setting for wholesale telecommunications services (New deadline: August 13, 2020)
• Political Communications in Federal Elections (August 21, 2020 deadline)
• Call for comments – Accessibility – mobile wireless service plans that meet the needs of Canadians with various disabilities (August 31, 2020 deadline)
• Call for comments – Appropriate network configuration for disaggregated wholesale high-speed access services (September 9, 2020 deadline)

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings