Weekly Newsletter for April 23, 2024

Weekly News (April 23, 2024)

Compiled by Brad McNeil with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(April 17 – 23, 2024)

Canadian News 

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Ottawa’s largest-ever financial commitment to artificial intelligence includes funds for development — and a promise to improve the lives of younger Canadians  (Toronto Star) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] CSIS to get more than $650-million to fight foreign interference (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] Tories accuse minister of ‘politicizing’ Governor General’s office over online harms (CBC) 
• [CAPITAL GAINS; INNOVATION POLICY] Freeland defends budget’s capital gains hike despite widespread criticism from tech leaders (Globe and Mail) 
• [CAPITAL GAINS; PLATFORM REGULATION] How Justin Trudeau sparked a tech bro revolt (National Post) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY] Critics question Liberals’ falling cellphone price claims, budget promises (Toronto Sun) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] CBC getting $42-million in budget after warnings of job cuts (Globe and Mail) 
• [ACCESS TO INFORMATION] Remembering CAIRS, the federal FOI database that was quietly shut down in 2008 (Secret Canada) 
• [HATE SPEECH] Ottawa police investigating chant on Parliament Hill glorifying Hamas Oct. 7 attack (Ottawa Citizen) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE]  Creators should disclose when they’ve used AI: social media mogul Randi Zuckerberg  (CityNews Toronto) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/HATE SPEECH] Court extends ban on protesting outside Jewish community buildings (The Montreal Gazette) 
• [PRIVACY] OPINION: Rita Trichur: Canada will finally allow banks to share data about crooked clients to combat financial crime; If properly implemented, could open up a new front in Canada’s fight against financial crime; its about time  (Globe and Mail) 
• [CULTURAL FUNDING] OPINION: Jamie Sarkonak: Liberals, again, use federal budget to advance demographic favoritism (National Post) 
• [COMPETITION] OPINION: David Feldman: Canada risks going too far in overhauling competition law (Globe and Mail) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Mark McQueen: Justin Trudeau brags about Canada being a tech leader, but his claims ring hollow  (Toronto Star) 

International News

• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS] AI deepfakes threaten to upend global elections. No one can stop them. (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] House passes potential TikTok ban that could speed through Senate (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION; FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] TikTok says US House bill that could ban app would ‘trample’ free speech (Reuters) 
• [SURVEILLANCE] Senate Passes Two-Year Extension of Surveillance Law Just After It Expired (New York Times) 
• [PRIVACY] New Biden rule protects privacy for women who get abortions (Reuters) 
• [ONLINE HARMS/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Report urges fixes to online child exploitation CyberTipline before AI makes it worse (Associated Press) 
• [HATE SPEECH] US rights report on India cites abuses in Manipur, harassment of media and minorities (Reuters) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION] Elon Musk Criticizes Australia for Ordering Removal of Stabbing Video (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PRIVACY] House hearing highlights the potential flash points in renewed privacy talks  (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] US power, tech companies lament snags in meeting AI energy needs (Reuters) 
• [ONLINE HARMS/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Spurred by Teen Girls, States Move to Ban Deepfake Nudes (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Here Come the Anti-Woke AIs (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE]  Apple pulls Signal, WhatsApp, Threads from China’s app store  (Washington Post) 
• [PRIVACY/LAWSUIT] Lawsuit in London to allege Grindr shared users’ HIV status with ad firms (The Guardian) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Georgian opposition parties urge mass protests against ‘Russian’ bill  (Reuters) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE/CONTENT MODERATION] Having remade Twitter, Elon Musk takes speech fight global  (Washington Post) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Michigan school district cancels lesson on gender identity and pronouns after backlash (NBC News) 
• [PRIVACY] Woman files lawsuit accusing Target of illegally collecting customers’ biometric data (USA Today ) 
• [PRIVACY] Google’s New Privacy Plan Has Flaws, Regulator Says in Internal Documents (Wall Street Journal) 
• [HATE SPEECH] Why Did Modi Call India’s Muslims ‘Infiltrators’? Because He Could. (New York Times) 
• [PRIVACY] Prince Harry’s privacy case against Murdoch tabloids to proceed as planned (Reuters) 
• [INDUSTRY] Google Fires 28 Workers Protesting $1.2 Billion Israeli Contract (Bloomberg) 
• [SURVEILLANCE] OPINION: Matthew Waxman & Adam Klein: Government Surveillance Keeps Us Safe (New York Times) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Lydia Polgreen: Columbia, Free Speech and the Coddling of the American Right (New York Times) 
• [CENSORSHIP] OPINION: Jodie Ginsberg: The Israeli Censorship Regime Is Growing. That Needs to Stop. (New York Times) 

(April 17 – 23, 2024)

Information Commissioner of Canada

• Information Commissioner’s appearance before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Consultation Report 
  • Call for comments – Framework under the Online News Act (formerly Bill C-18)  
• Broadcasting and Telecoms 
  • Broadcasting notice of consultation 2024-11-1
    [2024-04-22 16:00:00]
    Notice of hearing – 25 March 2024 – Gatineau, Quebec – Additional information added to the public record for item 1
  • Telecom decision 2024-81
    [2024-04-22 16:00:00]
    Final offer arbitration between Quebecor Media Inc. and TELUS Communications Inc. regarding wholesale mobile virtual network operator access rates – Public record: 8622-V3-202306381

National Film Board

• NFB modernization initiative will increase documentary and animation production budgets 

Microsoft

• Microsoft Joins Thorn and All Tech Is Human to enact strong child safety commitments for generative AI
• Expanding our Content Integrity tools to support global elections  

TikTok

• More updates to help the TikTok community create and share safely 

OpenAI 

• OpenAI’s commitment to child safety: adopting safety by design principles 

Spotify

• Canadian Music Has Evolved Into a Global Export. Canada Must Evolve With It. 

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days:  The Senate will not be sitting the week of April 22 – 26, 2024. The next possible sitting day is on April 30, 2024. 

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  The House of Commons will not be sitting the week of April 22 – 26, 2024. The next possible sitting day is on April 29, 2024.
  • Bills on the Agenda:
    • Bill C-65: An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act – At second reading in the House of Commons 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated releases for the week of 22 to 26 April 2024:
  • The CRTC is not planning on issuing any decisions, regulatory policies and reports in the week of 22 to 26 April 2024. This is subject to change without notice.

• Upcoming Hearings
  • May 3, 2023 – Gatineau, Quebec
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-6, 2023-6-1, 2023-6-2 View hearing documents (2023-6)
  • May 11, 2023 – National Capital Region
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-49, View hearing documents (2023-49)
  • June 28, 2023 – Gatineau, Quebec
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-72, View hearing documents (2023-72)                
  • July 6, 2023 – National Capital Region
    To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2023-129, 2023-129-1  View hearing documents (2023-129)
• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Call for comments – Co-development of an Indigenous Broadcasting Policy – July 22, 2024 2024-67

Competition Bureau

• Competition Bureau seeks feedback on artificial intelligence and competition – Feedback can be submitted until May 4, 2024

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

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