Newsletter: March 23, 2021

Weekly News (March 23, 2021)

Compiled by Emmanuel Appiah, Meaghan Wester, and Nick Gertler with Sara Bannerman, Fenwick McKelvey, Guillaume Dandurand, Marek Blottière, and Kevin Morin

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

This week’s newsletter includes additional links to articles made available through Factiva via McMaster and York respectively.

The Communications Governance Discussion Group meets every few weeks by Zoom.  Email organizer Derek Hrynyshyn <derekh@yorku.ca> for details.

(March 16-22^nd, 2021)

Canadian News

• [TELECOM OWNERSHIP] Rogers deal complicates Shaw’s place at 5G airwaves auction (Globe and Mail; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM OWNERSHIP] La transaction Rogers-Shaw fait craindre un déficit de concurrence (Le Devoir)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Power of cities under scrutiny at Supreme Court hearing over Premier Doug Ford’s cut to Toronto city council (Toronto Star)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/TRADE] Could new trade agreement with U.S. derail Ottawa’s plans to regulate social media giants? (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [DEFAMATION] Lawyer’s defamation claim over social media backlash called frivolous, court told (Canadian Press via Global News; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [CULTURAL FUNDING] After being closed for a year, Toronto music venue owners look for glimmers of hope (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [CULTURAL FUNDING] Québec bonifie de 3 mois et de 18 millions son aide aux salles de spectacles”(Le Devoir)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/HATE SPEECH] Canadians support limiting hate speech (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/LABOUR] OFL Calls on Ford Government to Reject Uber’s Proposal to Carve Gig Workers Out of Basic Employment Protections (GlobalNewswire; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM OWNERSHIP/COMPETITION] Cogeco doesn’t aspire to be fourth major wireless carrier, but it has a plan that may be our last chance at real competition (Financial Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY/LAWFUL ACCESS] Law enforcement requests for Presto data rose last year, partly due to the largest fare fraud investigation in Metrolinx history (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [RACE-BASED DATA] Peel police hire York U researcher to report on police interactions with racialized community (St. Catharine Standard)
• [PRIVACY] The CRA is watching you: Auditors scouring social media for unreported income from influencers (National Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [CYBERSECURITY/EGOVERNMENT] Thousands of CRA accounts affected by CERB-related hacking (The Globe and Mail; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Comptes piratés à l’ARC: Le Bloc exige des explications et une sécurité resserrée (La Presse)
• [TELECOMMUNICTION POLICY/INTERNET POLICY] Plus de 800 millions pour élargir l’accès à Internet haute vitesse au Québec (Le Devoir)
• [TELECOM OWNERSHIP/COMPETITION] OPINION: Rita Trichur: Uncertainty over Rogers-Shaw deal fuelled by political procrastination (Globe and Mail; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM OWNERSHIP/COMPETITION] OPINION: Dwayne Winseck & Ben Klass: Rogers’ bid for Shaw is bad news for competition in several media markets, and should be blocked (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] OPINION: Gérard Bérubé: Rogers doit-il s’inquiéter du régulateur? (Le Devoir)
• [TELECOM OWNERSHIP/COMPETITION] OPINION: Jesse Kline: Why Rogers should be blocked from getting Shaw’s Freedom Mobile in merger deal (National Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] OPINION: Facebook is stepping in where governments won’t on free expression (National Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Danial Bernhard: Canada’s approach to regulating big tech is fundamentally defeatist (Toronto Star via Toronto.com; also: Projets de loi C-10 et C-11; Défaitiste, Ottawa abdique face aux GAFAM (LaPresse)
• [PRIVACY] Comptes piratés à l’ARC: Le Bloc exige des explications et une sécurité resserrée (La Presse)

International News

• [PRIVACY] U.S. Supreme Court rebuffs Facebook appeal in user tracking lawsuit (Reuters; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] FCC moves against two Chinese telecoms firms operating in U.S. (Reuters)
• [ANTITRUST] Google’s privacy push draws U.S. antitrust scrutiny, sources say(The Globe and Mail; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Blacklisted Chinese firms eye lawsuits after Xiaomi win against Trump ban (Reuters; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] China Punishes Microsoft’s LinkedIn Over Lax Censorship (New York Times; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] China seeks to rein in mobile apps’ collection of personal data (Reuters; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY/NATIONAL SECURITY] TikTok Doesn’t Pose Overt Threat to U.S. National Security, Researchers Say (Wall Street Journal; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Apple Notches a Legal Win In France Over App Privacy (Wall Street Journal; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [FACIAL RECOGNITION] Your Face Is Not Your Own (New York Times; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Ikea France on trial over claims it spied on staff, clients (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Twitter to establish legal entity in Turkey, comply with law (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [BROADCAST REGULATION] Rights Group Asks FCC to Punish Chinese State Broadcaster (Wall Street Journal; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Norway consumer group calls for Grindr to be made to delete any illegal data (Reuters)
• [PRIVACY] Vermont official has privacy concerns about border towers (Toronto Star; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [DEFAMATION] Lawyers for Johnny Depp seek to appeal ‘wife beater’ ruling (Los Angeles Times; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [PRIVACY] Activists are suing Thomson Reuters over its sale of personal data (Washington Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [INTERNET REGULATION] Ex-AT&T lawyer says it overcharged needy schools (Washington Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [AI/DISCRIMINATION] OPINION: Alexandra Reeve Givens et al: Racism and Sexism Persist in Hiring Tech (New York Times; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [ART/TECHNOLOGY] What are NFTs and why are people paying millions for them? (National Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION/NEWS] OPINION: Erik Wemple: News orgs cite Biden administration opacity on border stories (Washington Post; factiva: McMaster; York)
• [DEFAMATION] OPINION: Reconsidering Times v. Sullivan; An influential judge says the ‘actual malice’ standard needs revision. (Wall Street Journal; factiva: McMaster; York)

(March 16-22^nd, 2021)

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• CRTC Broadband Fund second call: second round of selected projects
• Fifteen underserved communities in northern Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia to benefit from improved broadband connectivity

Employment and Social Development Canada

• Government of Canada launches consultations to ensure labour protections meet new realities of working Canadians 

 Global Affairs

• Canada begins public consultations on joining the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement

 Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

• Universal Broadband Fund­–supported­ project will bring high-speed Internet to rural New Brunswick
• Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry holds first bilateral meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce
• Universal Broadband Fund–supported projects will bring high-speed Internet to Alberta communities

 Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada has today deposited with the Registrar judgments in the following leave applications.
  • [SEARCH & SEIZURE/DIGITAL DEVICES] Ryan Wolfson c. Sa Majesté la Reine (Qc) (Criminelle) (Autorisation) (39352) (Dismissed)
  • [COPYRIGHT] Les Éditions Québec Amérique inc. c. Druide Informatique inc. (Qc) (Civile) (Autorisation) (39391)(Dismissed)

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced that the following appeals were heard.
  • [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] City of Toronto v. Attorney General of Ontario (Ont.) (Civil) (By Leave) (38921)
  • [PUBLICATION BAN] Canadian Broadcasting Corporation v. Her Majesty the Queen, et al. (Man.) (Civil) (By Leave) (38992)

Federal Court of Canada

• [TRADEMARK] TFI Foods Ltd. v. Every Green International Inc. – 2021 FC 241 – 2021-03-19
• [TRADEMARK] Smart Cloud Inc. v. International Business Machines Corporation – 2021 FC 236 – 2021-03-18

Google

• The 2012 FTC staff papers

YouTube

• How we’re supporting COVID-19 vaccine education

Microsoft

• AI for Health – a year of innovations from grantees across the globe

Twitter

• An update on Twitter in Turkey
• Calling for public input on our approach to world leaders

Facebook

• • • How We’re Tackling Misinformation Across Our Apps

CRTC

News Releases:

• Telecom order 2021-112
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff application: Bell Canada TN 7628
• Broadcasting order 2021-111
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Broadcasting Licence Fees – Part I
• Telecom decision 2021-110
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for Cogeco Connexion Inc.’s Ontario (Algonquin) transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-109
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for Cogeco Connexion Inc.’s Ontario (Florence) transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-108
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for Cogeco Connexion Inc.’s Ontario (Jerseyville) transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-107
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation’s British Columbia (Highway 95/95A corridor) transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-106
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for Nexicom Inc.’s Ontario transport fibre project – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-105
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for the Kativik Regional Government’s transport fibre project in northern Quebec – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-104
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Project funding approval for the Kativik Regional Government’s transport fibre project in Quebec (Kuujjuaq) – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• Telecom decision 2021-103
  [2021-03-19 11:00:00]
  Broadband Fund – Second call for applications – Introductory decision regarding the second round of project funding approvals – Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada announced today that judgment in the following leave applications will be delivered at 9:45 a.m. EDT on Thursday, March 25, 2021. This list is subject to change.
  • [SEARCH & SEIZURE] Client B, et al. c. Directrice des poursuites criminelles et pénales, et al. (Qc) (Criminelle) (Autorisation) (39365)

Senate of Canada

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: The Senate is not sitting today. Adjournment period of the Senate extended until Friday, March 26, 2021 at 11:00 am.

Canadian House of Commons

• Planned & Possible sitting days this week: March 22-26, 2021. No bills have been placed on today’s agenda.

Upcoming Committee Meetings

• [CHPC] (March 22, 2021) Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Subject Matter of Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act
• [ETHI] (March 22, 2021) Meeting Requested by Four Members of Committee
• [CACN] (March 22, 2021) Special Committee on Canada-China Relations
• [CACN] (March 25, 2021) Special Committee on Canada-China Relations
• [CHPC] (March 26, 2021) Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Subject Matter of Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act

CRTC

 Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Anticipated releases for the week of March 22-26^th, 2021

The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the coming week. This is subject to change without notice.

        Broadcasting Decisions:

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

• Cogeco Media Inc.
  CHOA-FM Rouyn-Noranda and its transmitter CHOA-FM-1 Val-d’Or – Technical changes
  Public record for this application: 2020-0807-8
• Carol Anne O’Brien, Barrister & Solicitor
  Addition of ANC to the List of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution
  Public record for this application: 2021-0022-0
• Aboriginal Multi-Media Society of Alberta
  CFWE-FM-4 Edmonton and its transmitter CFWE-FM-5 Fort McMurray – Technical changes
  Public record for this application: 2020-0864-8

         Regulatory Policies

Broadcasting
2021-3 – Revised list of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution – Annual compilation of amendments

 Public Hearings

• To consider the broadcasting application listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2021-36 – View hearing documents (2021-36) (March 30, 2021)

Open Public Consultations:

•  Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: Commercial radio policy framework review (Nov 12, 2020 to March 29, 2021)
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: 2019-217 Co-development of a new Indigenous Broadcasting Policy
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission: Video Relay Service Review (March 11- May 9, 2021)