Newsletter: September 29, 2020

Weekly News (September 29, 2020)
Compiled by Fizza Kulvi with Sara Bannerman
McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(September 22 – 28, 2020)

Canadian News

• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Canada says it’s finally going to get tough on tech giants like Facebook and Google – but media observers worry it’s all talk for now (The Star)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION / CHILD PORNOGRAPHY] Acquitted author can ‘breathe again’; Judge rules his novel not child pornography (CBC)
• [TELECOM POLICY] Internet everywhere, but at a cost: The race for the low-Earth satellite market (Globe and Mail)
• [INTERNET POLICY] Liberals to ‘accelerate’ spending of $1-billion fund for rural internet backbone (CTV)
• [COVID-19/PERSONAL DATA] OPINION: Cohn: Canadians are foolish and reckless to ignore the COVID Alert app
• [PRIVACY] Shopify says it notified privacy commissioner of breach involving ‘rogue’ staff (The Star)
• [PRIVACY] Alberta seeks assurance that RCMP will comply with law allowing people to access abuse history of domestic partners (National Post)
• [TELECOM POLICY] Quebec’s Caisse, province vow to support Cogeco’s growth plans (Globe and Mail)
• [HATE SPEECH] Markham high school student arrested after allegedly making anti-Black comments during Grade 12 virtual class (The Star)

International News

• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Big U.S. tech firms fail to comply with curb on Europe data transfers (Reuters)
• [PRIVACY] US judge dismisses New Mexico privacy claims against Google (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Justice Dept. Case Against Google Is Said to Focus on Search Dominance (NYT)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Opinion: Editorial Board: The Justice Department hypes phantom censorship with an attack on Internet platforms’ core protection (Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Amazon Unveils Drone That Films Inside Your Home. What Could Go Wrong? (NYT)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Beijing Frets Over Losing Control of TikTok as It Debates App’s Fate (WSJ)
• [PRIVACY] Singapore’s use of facial verification in ID scheme stirs privacy fears (Reuters)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] A Nigerian boy was sentenced to 10 years for blasphemy. Then people started offering to serve part of it. (Washington Post)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Opinion: Letters to the Editor: We need privacy reform for all apps, not a ban of WeChat (Washington Post)

• (Sep 22 – Sep 28, 2020)

  Canadian Heritage

  • Minister Guilbeault Announces Support for Canada’s Audio-Visual Sector 
  • Launch of Consultations to Advance Implementation of Indigenous Languages Act
  • Government of Canada Announces Temporary Measure to Compensate for the Lack of Insurance Coverage for Production Stoppages due to Confirmed COVID-19 Cases on Film Sets in the Audiovisual Industry

   

  Office of the Information Commissioner

  • Statement for Right to Know Week

   

  Office of the Information Commissioner

  • Commissioner discusses Quebec’s privacy law reform bill

  YouTube

  • Using technology to more consistently apply age restrictions

  Microsoft

   

  • Microsoft report shows increasing sophistication of cyber threats
  • Critical steps for securing cyberspace
  • Expanding access and eligibility to bolster impact through AI for Humanitarian Action
  • Launching the NextGen Network Report on ‘How AI Can Work for Humanity’
  • Open Data Campaign: Exploring the power of open data

   

  Twitter

   

  • Our continued work to keep Twitter secure
  • Empowering US Voters on National Voter Registration Day

   

  Facebook

   

  • Celebrating National Voter Registration Day With a Week of Action

   

  CRTC

  News Releases:

  • Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-340

  [2020-09-24 11:00 AM]
  APPROVED – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – Yellowknife and Fort Smith, Northwest Territories – Application to change the authorized contours of CFYK-FM-1 Fort Smith, a low-power rebroadcasting transmitter of the English-language radio station CFYK-FM Yellowknife, which is part of the CBC Radio One network

  • Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2020-338
    [2020-09-21 11:00 AM]
    APPROVED – Blackgold Broadcasting Inc. – Leduc, Alberta – Application to change the authorized contours of the English-language commercial FM radio station CJLD-FM Leduc

Senate of Canada

• Sitting days this week: September 30, 2020

Canadian House of Commons

• Sitting days this week: September 28, 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 Sep 28 – Oct 2, 2020

• Broadcasting Decision: 
  Decision relating to the following Part 1 application: 
  Harvest Ministries Sudbury
  Sudbury and New Liskeard, Ontario
  CJTK-FM Sudbury and its transmitter CJTK-FM-6 New Liskeard – Technical changes
  Public record: 2020-0330-0

Upcoming Public Hearings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Open Public Consultations:

• Centre for Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Statistics (September 30, 2020)

Have a suggestion? Email Sara Bannerman at banners@mcmaster.ca

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