Weekly Newsletter for January 07, 2025

Weekly News (January 07, 2025)

Compiled by Brad McNeil with Sara Bannerman

McMaster University, Communications Governance Observatory

(December 17, 2024 – January 07, 2025)

Canadian News

• [ONLINE NEWS ACT] Google sends $100M in funds to journalism collective in exchange for Online News Act exemption (CBC) 
• [ONLINE NEWS ACT] Court hits pause on global streamers’ upcoming Canadian content payments (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE HARMS BILL] Parties agree on the need to act on online harms, but time is running out for new law (CTV News) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS/LAWSUIT] Competition Bureau sues Rogers for allegedly misleading customers about unlimited data (CBC)   
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE REGULATION] Industry minister talks TikTok, Elon Musk and the future of his AI bill  (Toronto Star) 
• [COPYRIGHT] Canadian artists set to receive portion of sales when their work is resold in revamp of copyright law (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE STREAMING ACT/GIG ECONOMY] For Canadian influencers, working in the U.S. offers an alluring promise: more fame, opportunity and money (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE HARMS] Online child exploitation spiked during lockdowns. Police worry it’s here to stay (CTV News) 
• [ONLINE HARMS/DEEPFAKES]  A boy created AI-generated porn with the faces of girls he knew. Why Toronto police said he didn’t break the law  (Toronto Star) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/IMMIGRATION] Canada border agency has launched facial recognition app to track migrants (Toronto Star) 
• [GIG ECONOMY] New tax laws require web platforms to report gig workers’ income to CRA (CBC) 
• [PRIVACY] Apple’s Find My function lets Canadians share lost luggage location with Air Canada. But are you trading privacy for convenience?  (Toronto Star) 
• [CANADIAN CONTENT] Canadian film and TV production down nearly 20%, matching pre-pandemic levels (Globe and Mail) 
• [HATE SPEECH] Toronto council eyes bylaw banning protests near places of worship (Toronto Star) 
• [DATA CENTRES] New data centre will be one of Canada’s most powerful (Globe and Mail)  
• [JOURNALISM/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] There’s a lot more to discuss about the relationship between journalism and artificial intelligence (Globe and Mail) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Canadian telecom companies had a very bad year. Will 2025 be any better?  (Globe and Mail) 
• [BROADCASTING/CANADIAN CONTENT] Maple-syrup heist series The Sticky is proof that we can’t trust Amazon to deliver Canadian TV (Globe and Mail) 
• [DIGITAL SIGNATURES] Sask. appeal court gives 2 thumbs up to decision that emoji is contractually binding (CBC) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Mississauga faces questions about support for future protests (Penticton Herald)  
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/FUNDING] Canadian government funding for AI development to benefit U.S. company, critics note (Globe and Mail) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/INDUSTRY] OPINION: Ryan Khurana: Canada has a Nobel Prize for artificial intelligence. But our AI red tape will strangle us (Globe and Mail) 
• [PUBLIC BROADCASTING] OPINION: Konrad Yakabuski: Burying the corpse: Who needs the CBC any more? (Globe and Mail) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/SOCIAL MEDIA BANS] OPINION: Christopher Dietzel & Kaitlynn Mendes: Australia is banning social media for teens. Should Canada do the same? (The Conversation) 
• [DIGITAL HEALTH INTEROPERABILITY] OPINION Andre Picard: It’s more important than ever that health information systems speak to each other better (Globe and Mail) 
• [ONLINE HARMS ACT] OPINION: Jordan Peterson: Jordan Peterson: Online harms bill is Trudeau’s illiberal manifesto (National Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ENVIRONMENT] OPINION: Madison Savilow: In tackling emissions from artificial intelligence, consider the concrete in data centres (Globe and Mail) 

International News

• [CENSORSHIP] Myanmar’s military rulers enact cybersecurity law with wide-ranging censorship provisions (Associated Press) 
• [ONLINE HARMS] Germany sees rise in far-right crime with online offences as main driver (Reuters) 
• [PRIVACY/PLATFORM REGULATION/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Italy fines OpenAI over ChatGPT privacy rules breach (Reuters) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/DATA PRIVACY] Dutch watchdog fines Netflix for not properly informing customers about data use (Reuters) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Putin orders Russian government and top bank to develop AI cooperation with China (Reuters) 
• [DATA PRIVACY/CYBERSECURITY] Amazon-hosted AI tool for UK military recruitment ‘carries risk of data breach’ (The Guardian) 
• [MILITARY/ARTIFICIAL  INTELLIGENCE] British AI startup with government ties is developing tech for military drones(The Guardian) 
• [MILITARY/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Ukraine collects vast war data trove to train AI models (Reuters) 
• [CYBERSECURITY/TELECOMMUNICATIONS] Biden Administration Takes First Step to Retaliate Against China Over Hack (New York Times) 
• [PRIVACY/LAWSUIT] What to know about Apple’s $95 million settlement of the snooping Siri case (Associated Press) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] TikTok and Government Clash in Last Round of Supreme Court Briefs(New York Times) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION] Live Updates: Meta to End Fact-Checking Program in Shift Ahead of Trump Term (New York Times) 
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Social Media Companies Face Global Tug-of-War Over Free Speech (New York Times) 
• [FREE SPEECH/CENSORSHIP] Free-speech advocates tell Supreme Court US TikTok law reminiscent of dictatorships (Reuters) 
• [COMPETITION] Google Proposes Fix to Solve Search Monopoly (New York Times) 
• [PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] UFC’s Dana White joins Meta’s board as company moves closer to Trump (Washington Post) 
• [PRIVACY] It’s not just Tesla. Vehicles amass huge troves of possibly sensitive data. (Washington Post) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ONLINE HARMS] Fable, a Book App, Makes Changes After Offensive A.I. Messages(New York Times) 
• [DEFAMATION] A Florida jury will decide if CNN defamed security contractor (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/LABOUR] Amazon workers strike at seven US facilities ahead of Christmas rush (Reuters) 
• [ONLINE HARMS] TikTok knew its livestreaming feature allowed child exploitation, state lawsuit alleges(The Guardian) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/PLATFORM GOVERNANCE] Meta is killing off its own AI-powered Instagram and Facebook profiles (The Guardian) 
• [MEDIA/DEFAMATION] Trump signals plans to use all levers of power against the media(Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] Under Pressure, Telegram Pulls Off an Elusive Milestone: A Profit (New York Times) 
•  [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/ADVERTISING] AI tools may soon manipulate people’s online decision-making, say researchers (The Guardian) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/DATA PRIVACY] AI’s next leap requires intimate access to your digital life (Washington Post) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] How Donald Trump Went From Backing a TikTok Ban to Backing Off (New York Times) 
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS/POLITICS] How a Telecom Bureaucrat Learned to Speak Trump (Wall Street Journal) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] Elon Musk gets new support in growing lawsuit against OpenAI (Washington Post) 
• [CENSORSHIP/BOOK BANS] Judge Strikes Down Portions of Arkansas Law That Threatened Librarians (New York Times) 
• [ONLINE HARMS] Apple’s App Store Puts Kids a Click Away From a Slew of Inappropriate Apps (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PRIVACY/DATA SECURITY] ‘Security is vital’: how should new health innovations protect user data – and put it to good use?  (The Guardian) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/COPYRIGHT] Tech companies face tough AI copyright questions in 2025 (Reuters) 
• [CONTENT MODERATION/CENSORSHIP] This company rates news sites’ credibility. The right wants it stopped.(Washington Post) 
• [COPYRIGHT/PUBLIC DOMAIN] 2025 Public Domain Day: Popeye, Tintin, more legendary artwork up for grabs (USA Today) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE/INFLUENCERS] The rise of the AI influencer (Globe and Mail) 
• [CAMPUS PROTEST/FREE SPEECH/HATE SPEECH] Pro-Palestinian Activists Removed From Michigan’s Student Government(New York Times) 
• [BIG TECH/POLITICS] Silicon Valley Heads to Washington (New York Times) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Gus Carlson: Both Zuckerberg and Musk agree OpenAI shouldn’t be for-profit. Maybe they are right (Globe and Mail) 
• [ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Dario Amodei & Matt Pottinger: Trump Can Keep America’s AI Advantage (Wall Street Journal) 
• [PLATFORM REGULATION] OPINION: Ruth Marcus: The head-spinning chutzpah of Trump’s TikTok brief (Washington Post) 
• [INTERNET POLICY] OPINION: Editorial Board: Good Riddance to Net Neutrality (Wall Street Journal) 
• [MILITARY/ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE] OPINION: Emelia Probasco: Partnership with AI companies is just what the military needs (Washington Post) 

(December 17, 2024 – January 07, 2025)

Federal Court of Appeal 

• [MEDIA/ELECTIONS] Rebel News Network Ltd v. Canada (Commissioner of Elections) – 2025 FCA 3 
• [ONLINE STREAMING ACT] Amazon.com.ca ULC v. Canada (Attorney General) – 2024 FCA 217  

Department of Justice Canada

• Federal Government announces National Forum on Combatting Antisemitism 

Competition Bureau Canada

• Competition Bureau sues Rogers for allegedly misleading claims about unlimited data 

Copyright Board of Canada

• Notice CB-CDA 2024-094 – Notice of Publication of Proposed Tariffs

Global Affairs Canada

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

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Broadcasting and Telecoms:
  • Telecom notice of consultation 2024-295-1
    [2024-12-20 11:00:00]
    Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Enhancing self-service mechanisms – Changes to procedure – Revised deadline for submission of interventions: 12 March 2025 – Revised deadline for submission of replies: 26 March 2025 – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0295
  • Telecom notice of consultation 2024-294-1
    [2024-12-20 11:00:00]
    Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Removing barriers to switching plans – Changes to procedure – Revised deadline for submission of interventions: 28 February 2025 – Revised deadline for submission of replies: 14 March 2025 – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0294
  • Telecom notice of consultation 2024-293-1
    [2024-12-20 11:00:00]
    Call for comments – Making it easier to choose a wireless phone or Internet service – Enhancing customer notification – Changes to procedure – Revised deadline for submission of interventions: 14 February 2025 – Revised deadline for submission of replies: 28 February 2025 – Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0293
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-344
    [2024-12-20 11:00:00]
    Maritime Broadcasting System Limited – Truro, Nova Scotia, and Bathurst, Woodstock, Grand Falls, and Plaster Rock, New Brunswick – Application to change the ownership and control of the English-language commercial radio stations CKTO-FM and CKTY-FM Truro and CKBC-FM Bathurst, CJCJ-FM Woodstock, and CIKX-FM Grand Falls and its transmitter CIKX-FM-1 Plaster Rock
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-343
    [2024-12-20 11:00:00]
    Bay of Islands Radio Inc. – Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador – Application for a broadcasting licence to operate an English-language community FM radio station in Corner Brook
  • Broadcasting order 2024-252-1
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Distribution order – Distribution of the national discretionary service Uvagut TV by persons licensed to carry on broadcasting distribution undertakings across Canada
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-251-1
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Uvagut TV – Licensing of a national, Inuit-language discretionary service, and mandatory distribution of the service across Canada – Finalization of conditions of service and of the distribution order and Inuit TV – Licensing of a national, Inuit-language discretionary service – Finalization of conditions of service
  • Telecom order 2024-342
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves the following tariff applications: TELUS Communications Inc., TN 594 and TN 666
  • Telecom order 2024-341
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Bell Canada, TN 7705
  • Telecom order 2024-340
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Saskatchewan Telecommunications, TN 383
  • Telecom order 2024-339
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves the following tariff applications: TELUS Communications Inc. TN 595 and TN 667
  • Telecom order 2024-338
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on an interim basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc., TN 1236
  • Telecom order 2024-337
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Determination of costs award with respect to the participation of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in the proceeding initiated by Quebecor Media Inc.’s application – File numbers: 8662-V3-202306729 and 4754-755
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-336
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Golden Horseshoe Broadcasting Limited – St. Catharines and Hamilton, Ontario – Application to change ownership and effective control of the English-language commercial radio stations CKTB, CHTZ-FM, and CHRE-FM St. Catharines as well as CKLH-FM Hamilton
  • Broadcasting decision 2024-335
    [2024-12-19 11:00:00]
    Trafalgar Broadcasting Limited – Mississauga and Oakville, Ontario – Application to change ownership and effective control of the commercial ethnic AM radio station CJMR Mississauga and the English-language commercial radio AM station CJYE Oakville
  • Telecom order 2024-334
    [2024-12-18 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff application: TELUS Communications Inc., TN 593
  • Telecom order 2024-333
    [2024-12-18 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff applications: Bandwidth Communications Canada, Inc., TN 1 and TN 1A
  • Telecom order 2024-332
    [2024-12-18 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff application: Northwestel Inc., TN 1232
  • Telecom order 2024-331
    [2024-12-18 11:00:00]
    Streamlined order – The Commission approves on a final basis the following tariff applications: Northwestel Inc., TN 1226 and TN 1226A

United Nations

• Making the digital and physical world safer: Why the Convention against Cybercrime matters  

Google

• Our remedies proposal in DOJ’s search distribution case 

Meta

•  More Speech and Fewer Mistakes   
•  Dana White, John Elkann and Charlie Songhurst to Join Meta Board of Directors  

Microsoft

• The Golden Opportunity for American AI 

OpenAI

• Why OpenAI’s Structure Must Evolve To Advance Our Mission 

TikTok

• Bringing even more transparency to how we protect our platform
• Statement on Supreme Court Order to Hear TikTok Ban Case  

Senate of Canada

• The Senate sitting and possible sitting days:  Parliament is prorogued – The prorogation of the first session of the 44^th Parliament was proclaimed on January 6, 2025. Parliamentary business, including committee business (other than the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration, Standing Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest for Senators and the Standing Committee on Audit and Oversight), is ended and will reconvene on March 24, 2025 for the second session of the 44^th Parliament.

House of Commons

• The House of Commons sitting and possible sitting days:  The 1st session of the 44th Parliament was prorogued on January 6, 2025. Prorogation occurs when the Governor General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, issues a proclamation putting an end to a parliamentary session. In practice, as soon as Parliament is either prorogued or dissolved, all committee activity ceases and, as such, all orders of reference and committee studies lapse. 

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Interventions to 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 
• Anticipated Releases for the week of 6 to 10 January 2025:
  • The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions, notices of consultation, orders and/or regulatory policies in the week of 6 to 10 January 2025. This is subject to change without notice. 
  • Broadcasting Notice of Consultation:
    • Call for comments – The Path Forward – Working Towards a Sustainable Canadian Broadcasting System
  • Telecom Orders
    • Broadband Fund Payment Order – Approval of Claim Forms – December 2024
      Public records: 1011-NOC2019-0191 and 1011-NOC2019-0372
    • Broadband Fund payment order – Approval of a holdback report – December 2024
      Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
    • Broadband Fund payment order – Approval of final implementation reports – December 2024
      Public record: 1011-NOC2019-0372
• 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 
• Share your thoughts on making shopping for Internet easier – End date: February 20, 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   
• Share your thoughts about enhancing customer notification – End date: February 14, 2025  
• 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

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