Weekly News (June 07, 2023)

Compiled by Brad McNeil with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(May 30  – June 6, 2023)

Canadian News 

• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/ONLINE NEWS BILL]  Facebook to test blocking Canadians’ access to news in response to Ottawa’s online news bill (Globe and Mail) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/ONLINE NEWS BILL] Meta launches tests blocking news for some Canadians on Facebook, Instagram  (Montreal Gazette) 
• [ONLINE NEWS BILL] Bill C-18 needs changes to prevent CRTC from snooping in newsrooms, senators told (Globe and Mail) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/ONLINE NEWS BILL] ‘Good riddance’ or ‘don’t unfriend us’? Publishers torn over Meta move to block news (Toronto Star) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Rogers proposes wireless access framework for Bell, Telus, Quebecor customers on TTC subways (Globe and Mail) 
• [ADVERTISEMENT REGULATION] Ottawa changes law to make tobacco companies put health warning on every cigarette (Globe and Mail) 
• [PRIVACY] ArriveCan’s erroneous orders urging 10,200 Canadians to quarantine breached Privacy Act, commissioner says (Globe and Mail)  
• [INTELLIGENCE] Watchdog’s relations with spy community ‘particularly strained’ over last year (CTV News) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] Catherine Tait’s term at helm of CBC extended for 18 months (Globe and Mail) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] As experts warn of ‘extinction’ risk, AI pioneer says Canada needs urgent regulation (National Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/BIAS] How AI is helping Canada keep some people out of the country. And why there are those who say it’s a problem (Toronto Star) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/PRIVACY] TikTok Faces Trust Crisis in Canada as Negative Sentiment Grows, Warns Horizon Media Canada’s Tipping Point Analysis (National Post)   
• [PRIVACY] Nova Scotia investigating theft of personal info through file transfer service MoveIt (North Shore News)  
• [PRIVACY/PUBLICATION BAN] No longer silent, more victims of sexual violence fight publication bans imposed in their names (Globe and Mail) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Jamie Sarkonak: Supreme Court’s preference for gender activism a threat to fairness (National Post)  
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Mark Lloyd: Canada should look to its past and Europe for guidance on media policy — but not south (The Conversation)  
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: Editorial: Does the value of police drones outweigh the potential risks to privacy? (Toronto Star) 

International News

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Is it real or made by AI? Europe wants a label for that as it fights disinformation (National Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Japan privacy watchdog warns ChatGPT-maker OpenAI on user data (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Australia says tougher laws needed on artificial intelligence (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] New Questions About Liability for Artificial Intelligence Creations (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION China Cracks Down on Surge in AI-Driven Fraud (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Biden’s former tech adviser on what Washington is missing about AI (Washington Post) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION/ELECTIONS] YouTube to stop removing content making false claims on past elections (Reuters) 
• [HARMFUL SPEECH/CONTENT MODERATION] Twitter Missed Dozens of Known Images of Child Sexual Abuse Material, Researchers Say (Wall Street Journal) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION] Twitter executive resigns as content moderator after Elon Musk criticism (Los Angeles Times) 
• [PRIVACY] Judge Dismisses D.C.’s Privacy Lawsuit Against Meta (New York Times) 
• [PRIVACY] Microsoft to pay $20 mln to settle US charges for violating children’s privacy (Reuters) 
• [PRIVACY] What the Amazon Alexa settlement means for parents and kids (Washington Post) 
• [DATA PRIVACY] Illinois Google users to receive about $95 as part of privacy lawsuit settlement (Chicago Sun Times) 
• [CENSORSHIP/FREE SPEECH]U.S. high schoolers on the front lines of the growing fight against book bans (Globe and Mail)  
• [BOOK BANS] In Utah, Scriptures (and Satire) Enter Debates Over Book Bans (New York Times) 
• [CENSORSHIP/FREE SPEECH] Advocates say Pride celebrations are even more important this year as attacks on the LGBTQ community intensify. ‘It’s terrifying.’ (Chicago Tribune) 
• [PRIVACY] Prince Harry Puts Britain’s Press on Trial (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/CONTENT MODERATION] Twitter’s U.S. Ad Sales Plunge 59% as Woes Continue (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION/DEFAMATION] ‘Hi, It’s Taylor Swift’: How AI Is Using Famous Voices and Why It Matters (Wall Street Journal)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Screen Actors Guild Authorizes Union to Call a Strike if Needed as Tension Rises in Hollywood (Wall Street Journal)  
• [CONTENT MODERATION] Incoming Twitter CEO Hires Executive From NBCUniversal (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/FREE SPEECH] OPINION: Gerard Baker: AI Is the Technocratic Elite’s New Excuse for a Power Grab (Wall Street Journal) 
• [HATE SPEECH] OPINION: Mariana Olaizola Rosenblat:  Do extremists use Discord? In online gaming chatrooms, hate isn’t hard to find. (USA Today) 
• [CENSORSHIP] OPINION: Jed Rubenfeild: The Big Tech Censorship Machine Is Running in 2024 (Wall Street Journal) 

(May 30  – June 6, 2023)

Canadian Heritage 

• Catherine Tait reappointed as President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada 

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada 

• Privacy Commissioner’s Special Report on pandemic-related investigations tabled in Parliament
• Commissioner Dufresne addresses international communications law and policy conference
• Keynote Remarks at the International Institute of Communications (IIC) Canada’s 19th Annual Communications Law & Policy Conference   

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 

• Statement from Minister Hutchings on progress in support of rural Canadians  

Global Affairs Canada

• Canada, Estonia and the Netherlands announce new chairship of the Media Freedom Coalition 

Senate of Canada

• Planned and Possible Sitting Days: The Senate will sit from June 6 to June 8, 2023, with possible sitting days on June 9 and 12, 2023.
  • Bills on the agenda: Bill C-288 – An Act to amend the Telecommunications Act (transparent and accurate broadband services information) (at second reading in the Senate 
  • Meetings
    • Transport and Communications: Bill C-18, An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada: June 6, 2023 at 9:00 AM ET  
    • Transport and Communications: Bill C-18, An Act respecting online communications platforms that make news content available to persons in Canada : June 7, 2023 at 6:45 PM ET  

House of Commons

• Planned and Possible Sitting Days: The House of Commons will sit from June 6 to 9, 2023. The House will also sit on June 12, 2023 with a possible extension of sitting hours.
  • Meetings
    • National Defence (NDDN): Cybersecurity and Cyberwarfare: Tuesday June 6, 2023 at 3:30 pm- 5:30pm (EDT)  
    • Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI): Access to Information and Privacy System: Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  

CRTC

• Anticipated Releases for the week of June 5 to 9, 2023:The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the week of 5 to 9 June 2023. This is subject to change without notice. 
• Broadcasting Decisions: 
  • Applications by various licensees to renew the broadcasting licences for various radio stations
  • Radio Markham York Incorporated
    Markham, Ontario  CFMS-FM Markham – New transmitter in Pickering
    Public record: 2022-0906-4

Open Proceedings

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Public Consultations:

• CRTC
  • Regulatory Plan to modernize Canada’s broadcasting system
  • Planned: Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-138: The Path Forward – Working towards a modernized regulatory framework regarding contributions to support Canadian and Indigenous content: Deadline for submission of interventions: 27 June 2023  
  • Open: Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2023-139: Call for comments – Proposed Regulations for the Registration of Online Streaming Services and Proposed Exemption Order regarding those Regulations (Deadline: June 12, 2023) 
  • Open: Share your comments on the review of the Broadband fund (start date March 23, 2023 to July 21, 2023) 
  • Open: Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2022-325-2:Broadband Fund – Third call for applications – Changes to procedure 
  • Open: Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2023-140:Call for comments – Review of exemption orders and transition from conditions of exemption to conditions of service for broadcasting online undertakings Deadline: June 12, 2023 

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

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