Newsletter: September 8, 2020

Weekly News (September 8, 2020)
Compiled by Emmanuel Appiah with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(September 1-7, 2020)

Canadian News

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] ‘Political and spiritual:’ Judge reserves decision over Saskatchewan teepee camp (Canadian Press via CBC News)

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION]  Ontario court rules Doug Ford’s gas-pump stickers attacking carbon-pricing are ‘unconstitutional’ (The Toronto Star)

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/POLICING] ‘Algorithmic policing’ in Canada needs more legal safeguards, Citizen Lab report says (The Toronto Star)

• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION]  B.C. government undermines information rights: privacy commissioner (The Toronto Star)

• [PERSONAL INFORMATION/POLICING] Opinion: Rosie DiManno: Ontario’s police carding regulations are a convenient bogeyman. But street checks will not stop crime (The Toronto Star)

• [INTERNET POLICY] Opinion: Ken Engelhart: We should stop regulating wholesale internet rates (The Financial Post)

• [INTERNET POLICY/DIGITAL DIVIDE] Banks are embracing apps and some restaurants now require a smartphone to enter – so what happens if you don’t have one? (The Toronto Star)

• [CULTURAL POLICY/DIGITAL NEWS] Ottawa facing a stare down with Facebook (The National Post)

• [CULTURAL POLICY/DIGITAL NEWS] Australia is in a fight with Facebook and Google. Canada could be next (The Toronto Star)

• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/ANTICOMPETITION] MOPINION: Scoffield: Morneau’s pitch to OECD: Let me take on giants (The Toronto Star; Similar article found here)

• [PRIVACY/COVID-19 APP] Newfoundland and Labrador becomes second province to embrace COVID-19 exposure app (The Telegram)

• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS/COMPETITION] Rogers vows to keep Cogeco in Quebec as part of takeover proposal (The Toronto Star)

• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Tech group makes pitch to Liberals as part of wider push to shape recovery plan (The Toronto Star)

International News

• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Internet companies urge FCC to reject Trump bid to impose new social media regulations (Reuters)

• [ANTITRUST/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] The Justice Department could file a lawsuit against Google this month, overriding skepticism from its own top lawyers (The Washington Post)

• [POLITICAL ADS/MISINFORMATION] Facebook moves to target misinformation before election (The Toronto Star)

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Oracle may have lost legal battle but won its campaign (The Washington Post)

• [PRIVACY/SURVEILLANCE] Court Approves Warrantless Surveillance Rules While Rebuking the F.B.I. (The New York Times; Similar article available in The Washington Post)

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/LIBEL] New York Court Declines to Take Up Appeal in Libel Case Against Dow Jones (The Washington Post)

• [PERSONAL INFORMATION] Facebook says EU demands have risks; Disclosure of data threatens privacy of staff, their families’ firm says (The Toronto Star)

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Macron decries French ‘Islamic separatism’ (Associated Press via The Toronto Star)

• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP/COMPETITION]  Kevin Rudd calls for government support for AAP and warns media diversity at risk (The Guardian)

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/TRADE] TikTok Deal Talks Are Snarled Over Fate of App’s Algorithms (The Wall Street Journal)

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] UN experts raise concerns over Hong Kong security law (The Washington Post)

• [PERSONAL INFORMATION]  Trump administration plans expanded use of personal data (The Washington Post)

• [PRIVACY/COVID-19] Universities can’t use privacy laws to withhold data on coronavirus outbreaks, experts say (The Washington Post)

• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATION] Rural telecom networks would spend $1.837 billion to remove Huawei, ZTE equipment – FCC (Reuters)

• [PRIVACY] Apple delays debut of anti-tracking tool in iPhone software (Associated Press via Los Angeles Times)

• [PRIVACY] Facebook partners with two more companies ahead of FTC hearing on data portability (Reuters)

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION]  Apple commits to freedom of information and expression in human rights policy (Reuters)

• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/CENSORSHIP] Forget TikTok. China’s Powerhouse App Is WeChat, and Its Power Is Sweeping. (The New York Times)

• [PERSONAL INFORMATION/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Forty percent of Americans back Trump executive order on TikTok: Reuters/Ipsos poll (Reuters)

(September 1-7, 2020)

Canadian Heritage

• Minister Guilbeault Announces Emergency Funding for Three Museums in Trois-Rivières

Copyright Board of Canada

        Recent Decisions on Tariffs

• SOCAN Tariffs 10.A – Strolling Musicians and Buskers; Recorded Music and 10.B – Marching Bands; Floats with Music (2018-2022) – 2020 CB 013-T – 2020-09-05
• SOCAN Tariff 10.A – Strolling Musicians and Buskers; Recorded Music and Tarif 10.B – Marching Bands; Floats with Music (2018-2022) – 2020 CDA 013 – 2020-09-04

Competition Bureau

• Competition Bureau strengthens relationship with five foreign counterparts to enhance cross-border enforcement

Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada

• Government of Canada ensures that Canadians continue to have access to the highest quality wireless services

Supreme Court of Canada

• [SEARCH & SEIZURE] Agence du revenu du Québec c. B.T. Céramiques inc., Entretien Torrelli inc., Francesco Bruno, Rodolfo Palmerino, Alfredo Magalhaes et Gisella Palmerino (Qc) (Civile) (Autorisation) (39177): The application for leave to appeal from the judgment of the Court of Appeal of Quebec (Montréal), Number 500-10-006542-177, 2020 QCCA 402, dated March 11, 2020, is dismissed.

Federal Court of Appeal

• [PATENT] Canada (Health) v. Glaxosmithkline Biologicals S.A. – 2020 FCA 135 – 2020-08-31

Google

• A more responsible, innovative and helpful internet in Europe

Microsoft

• New Steps to Combat Disinformation

Twitter

• Making Twitter more accessible
• Adding More Context To Trends

Facebook

• Introducing a Forwarding Limit on Messenger

CRTC

News Releases:

• Broadcasting decision 2020-323
  [2020-09-03 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Dufferin Communications Inc. – Meaford, Ontario – Application to change the authorized contours of the English-language commercial radio station CJGB-FM Meaford
• Broadcasting decision 2020-322
  [2020-09-02 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Vernon Community Radio Society – Vernon, British Columbia – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language community FM radio station in Vernon
• Broadcasting decision 2020-321
  [2020-09-01 11:00:00]
  APPROVED – Atlantic Digital Networks Ltd. – Across Canada – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate the currently exempt national, discretionary service known as ToonAvision as a licensed discretionary service
• Compliance and Enforcement decision 2020-320
  [2020-09-01 11:00:00]
  Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules Nicholson Wealth and Risk Solutions Inc. – Violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules – File number: PDR 9174-2557
• Compliance and Enforcement decision 2020-319
  [2020-09-01 11:00:00]
  Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules Devonshire Realty Inc., operating as Maxwell Devonshire Realty – Violations of the Unsolicited Telecommunications Rules – File number: PDR 9174-2504

Senate of Canada

• No sitting days this week – Parliament is Prorogued. The second session of the 43^rd Parliament is set to begin on September 23, 2020.

Canadian House of Commons

• No sitting days this week – Parliament is Prorogued. The second session of the 43rd Parliament is scheduled to open at 2:00 p.m., on September 23, 2020.

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that judgments in the following appeals will be delivered at 9:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday, September 10, 2020. This list is subject to change. :
• [ANTI-SLAPP] Maia Bent, et al. v. Howard Platnick, et al. (Ont.) (38374)
• [ANTI-SLAPP] 1704604 Ontario Limited v. Pointes Protection Association, et al. (Ont.) (38376)

CRTC

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of September 8-11, 2020

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.

            Broadcasting Decisions:

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

• Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta
  CFWE-FM-4 Edmonton – New transmitter in Rocky Mountain House
  Public record: 2020-0370-6

Open Public Consultations:

• Call for comments – Appropriate network configuration for disaggregated wholesale high-speed access services (September 9, 2020 deadline)