Weekly News (Mar. 5th – 11th)

Communications Governance in the News

Compiled by Charnjot Shokar and Sumana Naidu

Research Assistants, Communications Governance Lab

Canadian News: Feb. 26 – Mar. 4

• [SOCIAL MEDIA REGULATION] Liberals double down on threats to regulate social media(Toronto Sun)
• [FEDERAL BUDGET / JOURNALISM] Budget media provisions disappointing, industry says (Globe and Mail)
• [FEDERAL BUDGET / CYBERSECURITY] New federal cybersecurity strategy follows ‘overlap, lack of clarity’ (CTV)
• [FEDERAL BUDGET / CYBERSECURITY] ‘A big step forward’: National bank CEO praises federal cybersecurity plan (Financial Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] Quebec judge who refused to hear woman in hijab loses appeal to quash investigation (CTV)
• [PRIVACY] Metrolinx gave Presto users’ personal info to police 30 times last year (MetroNews)
• [TELECOMMUNICATIONS] CRTC puts new area code for Newfoundland and Labrador on hold(Globe & Mail)
• [HATE SPEECH] Lynn Beyak fights for right to fund her racist beliefs with tax dollars(Toronto Star)
• [DEFAMATION] C. bride ordered to pay $115,000 to photographer after online defamatory comments(Globe & Mail)

International News: Feb. 26 – Mar. 4

• [PRIVACY] S. Supreme Court wrestles with Microsoft data privacy fight(Globe & Mail)
• [TELECOM] In a blow to AT&T, federal judges have rejected ‘the loophole that could’ve swallowed the Internet’(Washington Post)
• [PRIVACY] Google Has Received 650,000 ‘Right To Be Forgotten’ Requests Since 2014(NPR)
• [PRIVACY] Hackers and the FBI have a new tool that will break into ANY iPhone running iOS 11, software company claims(Daily Mail)
• [PRIVACY] Facebook keeps creepy secret files on the intimate habits of internet users even if they DON’T have an account: Here’s how to see yours (Daily Mail)
• [PRIVACY] China using big data to detain people before crime is committed: report(Globe & Mail)
• [TELECOM] Israeli police question Netanyahu in third corruption case (Washington Post)
• [FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION] 2^nd Spanish rapper jailed, fined for praising terror groups (Washington Post)

Press Releases and Decisions: Feb. 26 – Mar. 4

CRTC

• Telecom order:
  • 2018-81 – Bell Aliant Regional Communications, Limited Partnership – Revisions to Small Business Network Service – Public record: Tariff Notice 514

Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

• Some parting thoughts from Suzanne Legault

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

• Statement from the Commissioner on a Parliamentary committee study of PIPEDA
• Appearance before the House of Commons’ Standing Committee on Finance for its statutory review of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA)

Google

• Updating our “right to be forgotten” Transparency Report

Facebook

• Connectivity for All: Insights from the 2018 Inclusive Internet Index
• Hard Questions: Live from Facebook’s Global Safety Summit

Upcoming Events

Senate of Canada

• AEFA: Foreign Affairs and International Trade
  • Study on the impact and utilization of culture and arts in foreign policy and diplomacy
• SECD: National Security and Defence
  • Canada’s national security and defence policies, practices, circumstances and capabilities
    • General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff (National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces)
  • SOCI: Social Affairs, Science, and Technology
    • Study on issues relating to social affairs, science and technology generally
      • Louise Bradley, President and Chief Executive Officer (Mental Health Commission of Canada)
      • Heather Ennis, Manager of Communications (The Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health)
      • Stephanie Priest, Executive Director, Mental Health and Wellbeing Division (Public Health Agency of Canada)
      • Nancy Reynolds, Chair, Child and Youth Advisory Committee (Mental Health Commission of Canada)
      • Purnima Sundar, Director, Knowledge Mobilization (The Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health)

House of Commons

• [Net Neutrality] Ethics committee meeting regarding net neutrality and committee business

CRTC

• The CRTC plans to issue the following decisions and/or regulatory policies in the coming week. This list may be incomplete and is subject to change without notice.
• Broadcasting Decisions
  • Decision relating to the following application considered by the Commission at the 7 September 2017 public hearing:
• Parrsboro Radio Society CICR-FM. Parrsboro – Licence renewal. Public record for this application: 2016-0994-2
• Telecom Decisions
  • CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee – Consensus report on a proposed wireless public alerting awareness and education campaign. Public record: 8621-C12-01/08
  • Bell Canada – Application for forbearance from the regulation of billing and collection service. Public record: 8640-B2-201606245
  • TELUS Communications Inc. – Application for forbearance from the regulation of billing and collection service. Public record: 8640-T66-201608408
  • Iristel Inc. – Application regarding the implementation of local competition in the exchange of Aylmer, Ontario. Public record: 8663-J64-201611913
• New Consultation Announcements:
  • 2018-80 – Notice of application received – Reconsideration of the decision relating to the addition of QVC to the List of non-Canadian programming services and stations authorized for distribution – Deadline for submission of interventions/comments/answers: 29 March 2018 – Deadline for submission of the applicant’s reply: 9 April 2018
  • 8640-T66-201801184 – Certain Determinations from Telecom Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-326. TELUS Communications Inc. Deadline for submission: 3 April 2018.
  • 8622-N68-201801176– Non-discriminatory and timely access on reasonable terms and conditions to Multi-Dwelling Unit development of the Ledingham McAllister Group Novus Entertainment Inc. Deadline for submission: 3 April 2018

• Upcoming Hearings:
  • 27 March 2018 – Gatineau, Quebec: To Consider the broadcasting applications listed in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2018-16.