Weekly Newsletter for December 17, 2024

Weekly News (December 17, 2024)

Compiled by Brad McNeil and Faezeh Daemi with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

The CGO newsletter will return on January 7, 2025

(December 10 – 17, 2024)

Canadian News

• [MEDIA OWNERSHIP/TECH & POLITICS] Meta gives in to CRTC disclosure order on Online News Act Compliance (CTV news)
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/CENSORSHIP]‘Put on a brave face’: Ottawa’s TikTok shutdown order leaves Canadian employees in limbo (Financial Post)
• [CENSORSHIP/SURVEILLANCE/PRIVACY] Canada urged to not sign ‘deeply flawed’ UN cybercrime treaty (The Globe and Mail)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION/PRIVACY] County Council Approves Comprehensive AI Policy (The Canadian Press)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PERSONAL INFORMATION] LinkedIn pauses training AI models on Canadian user data:privacy commissioner (Toronto Star)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/ONLINE HARMS BILL] ‘It’s become uncomfortable for me’: Jordan Peterson says he’s leaving Canada for the U.S. (National Post)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/EDUCATION] From blackboards to algorithms: the rise of AI in Canadian classrooms (The Globe and Mail)
• [ONLINE STREAMING ACT] Bryan Adams says request to discuss Ottawa’s official CanCon definition with heritage minister ignored (The Globe and Mail)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS/CYBERSECURITY/PRIVACY] Canadian telecoms monitoring networks amid massive cyberespionage campaign from China (The Globe and Mail) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATION] Copper wire theft on the rise but difficult to prevent and investigate, Senators told (Toronto Sun)
• [CENSORSHIP/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Reel resistance: Netflix’s removal of Palestinian films adds to the erasure of Palestine (The Canadian Press)
• [CENSORSHIP/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/ONLINE HARMS ACT] A censorious regime (National Post)
• [PRIVACY]Can a ‘consent video’ protect against allegations of sexual assault? (The Hamilton Spectator)
• [GIG ECONOMY] Uber Eats undercover: Delivering your food for $1.74 an hour (The Toronto Star)
• [FREEDOM OF THE PRESS/HATE SPEECH] Toronto council eyes bylaw banning protests near places of worship (The Toronto Star)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MISINFORMATION] Fact check: Monstrous sea creatures aren’t being pulled from the depths;AI-generated videos of toothy and tentacled creatures posted on social media can attract millions of views (The Globe and Mail) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/HEALTHCARE] Health-care system in Canada: Could AI help? (CTV)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] OPINION: Justin Ling: Courting disaster; Why Canada’s culture wars will never be resolved by the law (The Toronto Star)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ONLINE HARMS]OPINION: OPINION: Naomi Buck: Youth violence is on the rise. Is social media to blame? (The Globe and Mail) 

International News

• [PRIVACY] Australian Facebook users to share $50m payment after privacy scandal (Sydney Morning Herald) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION/LABOUR] Meta contractor dismissed threats to moderators by Ethiopia rebels (Reuters News) 
• [CENSORSHIP/SURVEILLANCE/PRIVACY] Serbian police used spyware to keep track of opponents and journalists, Amnesty says  (The Canadian Press)
• [HATE SPEECH/FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] The precarious life of a journalist in India (The Washington Post)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT] UK proposes letting tech firms use copyrighted work to train AI (The Guardian) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION]  TikTok Asks Supreme Court to Block Law Banning Its U.S. Operations (New York Times) 
• [DATA SECURITY/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/MILITARY] Amazon-hosted AI tool for UK military recruitment ‘carries risk of data breach’ (The Guardian) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ELECTIONS] EU to Investigate TikTok Over Romanian Elections (The Wall Street Journal)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Smarter-Than-Humans A.I. Is Near (The New York Times)
• [TECH & POLITICS] Elon Musk’s Playbook for DOGE Has a Precedent: X (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Why Does OpenAI Need So Much Money? (New York Times)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ONLINE HARMS] Women lawmakers 70 times more likely to be victims of deepfake porn, study finds (USA Today) 
• [CYBERSECURITY] Personal Data of Rhode Island Residents Breached in Large Cyberattack (New York Times) 
• [CENSORSHIP/JOURNALISM] Journalists anticipate a renewed hostility toward their work under the incoming Trump administration (The Canadian Press)
• [DEFAMATION/ELECTIONS]Trump sues Des Moines Register, vows to pursue more defamation claims (Reuters News)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] How OpenAI Hopes to Sever Its Nonprofit Roots (New York Times)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/IMMIGRATION POLICY] Tech Makes an Economic Case for Skilled Immigrants. Will Trump Bite? (New York Times) 
• [NATIONAL SECURITY/TECH & POLITICS] Why Musk Doesn’t Have Access to SpaceX’s Biggest Government Secrets (The Wall Street Journal)
• [COMPETITION] Klobuchar hopes antitrust momentum keeps up under Trump (Washington Post)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/POLICE] ‘It’s beyond human scale’: AFP defends use of artificial intelligence to search seized phones and emails (The Guardian) 
• [DATA PRIVACY/PLATFORM REGULATION/CYBERSECURITY] It’s not just TikTok. You probably use lots of Chinese technology (The Washington Post)
•  [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Housing scams get help from AI (The Washington Post)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/CYBERSECURITY] Their Job Is to Push Computers Toward AI Doom (The Wall Street Journal)
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Editorial: The Guardian view on AI’s power, limits, and risks: it may require rethinking the technology(The Guardian) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/REGULATION] OPINION: Peter Coy: How Does A.I. Think? Here’s One Theory (New York Times)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION/INTERNET GOVERNANCE]  OPINION: Thomson Reuters Foundation: Cradle of freedom? Saudis lambasted for hosting UN internet forum (Middle East Monitor)

(December 10 – 17, 2024)

Supreme Court of Canada

• The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed the following leave applications.
  • [COMPETITION] Spark Event Rentals Ltd. v. Google LLC, Google Canada Corporation and Alphabet Inc.  (British Columbia) (Civil) (By Leave) 

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Advice to Parliament:
  •  Appearance before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) on the government’s decision to order the wind up of TikTok Technology Canada, Inc. 
• Media Advisory:
  • Privacy Commissioner to appear before parliamentary committee studying the government’s decision to order the wind up of TikTok Technology Canada, Inc.
• Speech
  •  Remarks by the Privacy Commissioner at event to connect chief privacy officers and chief information officers
• News Release:
  • Privacy Commissioner discusses TikTok during appearance before parliamentary committee
  • Privacy Commissioner welcomes commitment from LinkedIn to pause training of AI models using the personal information from Canadian member accounts

Global Affairs Canada

• News release
  • Minister Joly announces support for human rights defenders and media freedom

Information Commissioner of Canada

•  Canada’s Information Commissioners and Ombuds issue joint resolution calling for enhanced transparency in government operations 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• News release:
  • CRTC sets mandatory bargaining framework under the Online News Act
  • CRTC improves Broadband Fund to help connect Canadians faster
• Regulatory policy
  • Online News regulatory policy 2024-327
    [2024-12-12 16:00:00]
    Framework under the Online News Act (formerly Bill C-18)
  • Telecom regulatory policy 2024-328
    [2024-12-12 16:00:00]
    Broadband Fund policy review – New policy for funding capital projects – Public record: 1011-NOC2023-0089
• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-330
    [2024-12-12 16:00:00]
    ZoomerMedia Limited – Owen Sound, Ontario – Application to change the ownership and control of the English-language commercial radio station CJOS-FM Owen Sound
  • Telecom order 2024-329
    [2024-12-12 16:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves the following tariff applications: Rogers Communications Canada Inc.; TN 82, TN 82A and TN 82B
  • Telecom order 2024-326
    [2024-12-11 11:00:00]
    Broadband Fund – Acceptance of statement of work for the Kativik Regional Government’s transport fibre project in northern Quebec – Public record: 1011-NOC2022-0325
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-325
    [2024-12-11 11:00:00]
    Access Communications Co-operative Limited – Regina, Saskatchewan – Application to change the ownership and control of the English-language community radio station CJTR-FM Regina
  • Telecom decision 2024-324
    [2024-12-11 11:00:00]
    Applications regarding long distance calling in Ontario correctional facilities – Public records: 8633-G110-202306480, 8633-B2-202400050, and 8633-G110-202402809
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-323
    [2024-12-11 11:00:00]
    Freedom Mobile Inc. – Various locations in Ontario – Application for authority to transfer from 2251723 Ontario to Freedom Mobile, as part of a corporate reorganization, the assets of terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertakings serving the Greater Toronto Area, Barrie, Hamilton-Niagara and Oshawa, and of the national on-demand service VMedia
  • Broadcasting order 2024-322
    [2024-12-10 11:00:00]
    Mandatory order Gill Broadcasting Ltd. – Winnipeg, Manitoba – The Commission orders Gill Broadcasting Ltd. and Baldev Gill, including any entities under either of their effective control, to obtain prior written permission from the Commission to operate under any Exemption Order, or to have any involvement with an undertaking operating under any Exemption Order, including but not limited to involvement with the ownership, operation, management, and financing of the undertaking
  • Broadcasting order 2024-321
    [2024-12-10 11:00:00]
    Mandatory order Gill Broadcasting Ltd. – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Pursuant to subsection 12(2) of the Broadcasting Act and consistent with the Consent Agreement dated 17 October 2024, the Commission orders Gill Broadcasting Ltd. and Baldev Gill, including any entities under either of their effective control to not carry on a broadcasting undertaking in Winnipeg, Manitoba, or elsewhere in Canada, except in compliance with the Broadcasting Act.
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-320
    [2024-12-10 11:00:00]
    Gill Broadcasting Ltd. – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Gill Broadcasting Ltd. and Baldev Gill – Issuance of mandatory orders

United Nations

• At least 68 journalist killings in 2024, UNESCO reports 

Meta

• Accelerating the Future: AI, Mixed Reality and the Metaverse

Microsoft

• Supporting New Open Data Initiatives: Institutional Data Initiative and CORE

OpenAI

• Elon Musk wanted an OpenAI for-profit

TikTok

• TikTok Files for Emergency Injunction Pending Supreme Court Appeal

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days:  The Senate will be sitting from December 17 – 19, 2024, with a possible sitting day on December 20, 2024
  • Bills on the Agenda
    • S-237: An Act to establish the Foreign Influence Registry and to amend the Criminal Code  – At second reading in the Senate
    • S-257: An Act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (protecting against discrimination based on political belief) – At second reading in the Senate
    • S-261: An Act respecting non-disclosure agreements – At second reading in the Senate

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  The House of Commons will be sitting from December 16 – 17, 2024. 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Anticipated Releases for the week of 16 to 20 December 2024:
  • The CRTC does not plan to issue any decisions, notices of consultation, orders and/or regulatory policies in the week of 16 to 20 December 2024. This is subject to change without notice.
  • Upcoming hearings:
    • February 11, 2025 – Yellowknife (Northwest Territories)
      To consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-213 – View hearing documents (2024-213)
• CRTC Open Broadcasting Proceedings
• CRTC Open Telecom Proceedings

Consultations:

Spectrum Management Consultations

•  Consultation on Changes to Licensing Requirements and Conditions of Licence on Space Debris Mitigation – Respondents should submit their comments no later than February 25, 2025 to ensure consideration 
• Consultation on a Fee Framework and Amendments to Conditions of Licence for Certain Spectrum Licences Used to Provide Commercial Mobile Services Below 10 GHz – Respondents should submit their comments no later than January 22, 2025 to ensure consideration

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-295) Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Enhancing self-service mechanisms – Deadline for submission of interventions: 9 January 2025 Deadline for submission of replies: 24 January 2025 
• (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-294) Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Removing barriers to switching plans Deadline for submission of interventions: 9 January 2025 Deadline for submission of replies: 24 January 2025
• (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-293) Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Enhancing customer notification Deadline for submission of interventions: 9 January 2025 Deadline for submission of replies: 24 January 2025   
• (Telecom Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-292) Call for comments – Reconsideration of an aspect of Telecom Decision 2023-358 Deadline for submission of interventions: 12 December 2024 Deadline for submission of replies: 19 December 2024 
• Share your thoughts on Canadian content for TV and online streaming services: End date: Start date: November 15, 2024, End date: January 20, 2025 
• Share your thoughts about the modernization of radio processes  Current status: End date: Start date: November 15, 2024, End date: January 20, 2025 
• Call for comments regarding the Canadian Association of Broadcasters’ proposed plan for the operation of a temporary fund supporting local news production by commercial radio stations in smaller markets – Start date: December 4, 2024 – deadline December 19, 2024.  
• Share your thoughts on a temporary fund to support local news production by commercial radio stations – Start date: November 4, 2024 End date: December 19, 2024  

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