Weekly Newsletter for November 21, 2023

Weekly News (November 21, 2023)

Compiled by Ian Steinberg with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(November 15 – 21, 2023)

Canadian News 

• [SECURITY INTELLIGENCE] Global Affairs faces calls for oversight after Michael Spavor’s allegations (Globe and Mail)
• [BROADCASTING REGULATION] ‘Your priorities are backwards,’ Bell tells CRTC during Online Streaming Act hearing (Toronto Star)
• [TELECOM REGULATION] Bell Canada seeks appeal of network sharing decision by CRTC(Globe and Mail)
• [COMPETITION LAW/PLATFORM REGULATION] Small business owners call on government to take on Amazon, level playing field (Financial Post)
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] Justice Minister Arif Virani says online harms bill ‘an absolute priority’ (Toronto Star)
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] ‘I’m at a loss’: Trudeau government’s own experts upset by its foot-dragging over online harms law (Toronto Star)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Ontario school boards grapple with social media and free speech policies after educators’ posts on Israel-Hamas war (Globe and Mail)
• [BILL C-27/AI GOVERNANCE] Canadian Chamber of Commerce forms AI council with members including Amazon, Google (Toronto Star)
• [HATE SPEECH] ‘No one’s experienced something like this:’ Canadian police data shows spike in hate against Jewish and Muslim communities (Toronto Star)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Charges stayed against Calgary man arrested for leading rally in controversial pro-Palestinian chant (Globe and Mail)
• [PUBLICATION BAN] ‘Trials must not be secret affairs’: Judge rejected ‘unprecedented’ publication ban on accused terrorist Nathaniel Veltman’s hate-filled manifesto (Toronto Star)
• [BROADCAST] Opinion: Kevin Desjardins: Broadcasters need urgent change to antiquated rules that favour foreign streaming services (Toronto Star)

International News

• [AI GOVERNANCE] A timeline of Sam Altman’s ouster from OpenAI and Microsoft appointment (Reuters)
• [AI GOVERNANCE] OpenAI Staff Threatens Exodus, Jeopardizing Company’s Future (New York TImes)
• [AI ELECTIONS] Is Argentina the First A.I. Election? (New York Times)
• [CYBERSECURITY] Australia says hacks surging, state-sponsored groups targeting critical infrastructure (Reuters)
• [MILITARY AI] As A.I.-Controlled Killer Drones Become Reality, Nations Debate Limits(New York TImes)
• [DATA REGULATION] European firms urge China to give more clarity on data transfer laws (Reuters)
• [JOURNALISM] Three more journalists killed in Gaza in Israeli offensive, relatives say(Reuters)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Will TikTok be banned? Young voters call leaders ‘out of touch’ as officials wage war against the platform (USA TODAY)
• [SMART CITIES] Rio de Janeiro: A test for the intelligence of smart cities (Globe and Mail)
• [DEFAMATION/ONLINE HATE] Musk’s X sues liberal advocacy group Media Matters over its report on ads next to hate groups’ posts (AP)
• [CONTENT MODERATION] U.S. lawmakers accuse X chief Musk of profiting from anti-Israel propaganda (Reuters)
• [ONLINE HATE] More Advertisers Halt Spending on X in Growing Backlash Against Musk(New York Times)
• [ONLINE HATE] Online abuse of politically active Afghan women tripled after Taliban takeover, rights group reports (AP)
• [AI COPYRIGHT] Music publishers ask court to halt AI company Anthropic’s use of lyrics(Reuters) 
• [AI COPYRIGHT] ‘Please regulate AI:’ Artists push for U.S. copyright reforms but tech industry says not so fast (AP)
• [AI GOVERNANCE] U.S. and China agree on pandas but not computer chips(Washington Post)
• [NET NEUTRALITY] FCC’s anti-discrimination rules expand broadband oversight(Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] A key US spy tool will lapse at year’s end unless Congress and the White House can cut a deal (AP)
• [INFRASTRUCTURE/AI] New Tool for Building and Fixing Roads and Bridges: Artificial Intelligence (New York Times)
• [PRIVACY] Opinion: Zeynep Tufekci: This Is Why Google Paid Billions for Apple to Change a Single Setting (New York Times)

(November 15 – 21, 2023)

Canadian Heritage

• Minister St-Onge releases direction to support more Canadian stories and music
• Minister St-Onge announces the appointment of Stéphanie Paquette as Regional Commissioner for Quebec at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 

• Statement by the CRTC Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, Vicky Eatrides, on the government’s broadcasting policy direction
• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Telecom order 2023-374
    [2023-11-17 11:00:00]
    Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in the proceeding initiated by Telecom Notice of Consultation 2022-268 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2022-0268 and 4754-709 
  • Telecom order 2023-373
    [2023-11-17 11:00:00]
    Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in the proceeding initiated by Telecom Notice of Consultation 2022-65 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2022-0065 and 4754-695 
  • Telecom order 2023-372
    [2023-11-17 11:00:00]
    Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Coalition in the proceeding initiated by Telecom Notice of Consultation 2022-65 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2022-0065 and 4754-697 
  • Telecom order 2023-371
    [2023-11-17 11:00:00]
    Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Deaf Wireless Canada Consultative Committee in the proceeding initiated by Telecom Notice of Consultation 2022-65 – File numbers: 1011-NOC2022-0065 and 4754-696 
  • Telecom order 2023-370
    [2023-11-16 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff applications: Bell Canada, TN 7678 and Northwestel Inc., TN 1194 
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2023-369
    [2023-11-16 11:00:00]
    Notice of hearing – 8 February 2024 – National Capital Region – Deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 18 December 2023 
  • Compliance and Enforcement information bulletin 2023-368
    [2023-11-16 11:00:00]
    Commission practices in Compliance and Enforcement sector review proceedings 
  • Broadcasting decision 2023-367
    [2023-11-15 11:00:00]
    Saskatchewan Telecommunications – Province of Saskatchewan – Application to renew the broadcasting licence for the regional, English-language on demand service MaxTV 
  • Broadcasting decision 2023-366
    [2023-11-15 11:00:00]
    Tsi Tyónnheht Onkwawén:na Language and Cultural Centre – Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Ontario – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate an English- and Kanyen’kéha language Indigenous (Type B Native) FM radio station in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory 

Canadian Intellectual Property Office

• Extension of the pilot project – change in procedures at the Patent Appeal Board

Copyright Board of Canada

• Notice from the Secretary General
• Proposed Tariffs for the Years 2025 and Beyond

Amazon

• Amazon aims to provide free AI skills training to 2 million people by 2025 with its new ‘AI Ready’ commitment

Google

• An opportunity agenda for AI
• Key takeaways from the Search trial

Meta

• Parenting in a Digital World Is Hard. Congress Can Make It Easier.
• Meta and Christian Louboutin File Joint Lawsuit Against Counterfeiter

MIcrosoft

• A statement from Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella
• Microsoft Ignite 2023: AI transformation and the technology driving change
• Accelerating Sustainability with AI: A Playbook 

OpenAI

•  OpenAI announces leadership transition

TikTok

•  TikTok Facts: The Basics of TikTok Ads

X

•  Stand with X to protect free speech

YouTube

•  Our approach to responsible AI innovation

Supreme Court of Canada  

• [POLICE INFORMER PRIVILEGE] Scheduled Hearing: 2023-12-12 to 2023-12-13 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, et al. v. His Majesty the King, et al. (Quebec) (Criminal) (By Leave) 40371

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days: November 21 to 24, 2023

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  November 20 to 24, 2023
  • [ETHI] Use of Social Media Platforms for Data Harvesting and Unethical or Illicit Sharing of Personal Information with Foreign Entities – Nov 20, 2023 3:30 PM  to 5:30 PM

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of November 20 to 24, 2023: 
  • Broadcasting Decisions:
    • Applications by various licensees to renew the broadcasting licences for television stations
• Upcoming Hearings
  • CRTC Hearing – Phase 1 – Contributions to the Canadian Broadcasting system – November 20 to December 8, 2023
  • We are examining what contributions traditional broadcasters and online services need to make to support Canadian and Indigenous content.

Public hearing: November 20 to December 8, 2023.

Read the agenda

View hearing documents (2023-138)

o    February 12, 2024 – Gatineau, Quebec

Notice of hearing – Review of the wholesale high-speed access service framework – Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-56, 2023-56-1, 2023-56-2, and 2023-56-3.

View hearing documents (2023-56)

• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

Canadian Heritage

·         Arts Market Survey – December 7, 2023

CRTC

·         Telecom

o    Consultation on telecommunications services in the Far North Oct 13, 2023 to Nov 29, 2023

o    Telecom notice of consultation 2022-147-3: Call for comments – Telecommunications in the Far North, Phase II – Changes to procedure – Public records: 8622-S93-202008482, 1011-NOC2020-0367 and 1011-NOC2022-0147 

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

·         Consultation on the Licence Renewal Process for the 24 GHz and 38 GHz Bands and Preliminary Consultation on Changes to the 24.25-26.5 GHz Band – Nov 17, 2023 to Dec 19, 2023

·         Consultation on Copyright in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence –December 4, 2023

·         Consultation on Amending CPC-2-0-20 — Radio Frequency (RF) Fields—Signs and Access Control – January 4, 2024

Statistics Canada:

·         Census Data on Demand (CDOD) program consultative engagement – March 31, 2024

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

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