Michael Geist

Latest Posts

The CRTC in 2017: “They Trust us to Defend their Interests as Citizens, as Creators & as Consumers”

Jean-Pierre Blais, the CRTC Chair, delivered a major address yesterday in which he sketched out his vision of the Commission in 2017. He envisions a CRTC that is trusted by Canadians a defender of their interests and that places Canadians at the centre of policy making. Blais acknowledged public skepticism about the CRTC and pledged “to earn their trust, every day, in every action and in every decision.”

Blais provided a vision that hits on many issues that should form part of Canada’s long missing digital economy strategy. CRTC activity includes:

the creation of a Chief Consumer Officer to ensure the CRTC “examine all the issues before us through a consumer-focused lens.”
the creation of wireless code of conduct
ensuring Canadians have maximum choice of providers and platforms
transparency in costing data of wholesale services
accessibility for all Canadians
broadband availability of downloads of 5 Mbps and uploads for 1 Mbps for all Canadians by 2015
enforcing do-not-call and anti-spam legislation
a broad definition of creators to include anyone that creates, distributes or promotes content
protection against cellphone theft

October 30, 2012 — 6 comments — News

Canadian Conference for the Arts Shutting Down

The Globe reports that the Canadian Conference for the Arts is shutting down, ending a 67-year record as a major arts advocacy group.

October 30, 2012 — 3 comments — News

Law Enforcement Renews Demand for Internet Surveillance Legislation

The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police renewed its call for Internet surveillance legislation on Friday, urging the government to move forward with Bill C-30. The CACP release included a new video and backgrounder. Law enforcement officials now admit that parts of the bill require amendment, yet as David Fraser points out in this detailed post, the reality is that “lawful access” is irretrievably broken (I’ve posted in the past on the many changes that are needed to restore balance to Bill C-30). As Fraser argues with respect to mandatory disclosure of personal information:

To put it very simply, if the police cannot convince a judge that the connection should be made, they should not be able to obtain it. If you can’t convince a judge that it will lead to evidence of a crime, the cops should go back to the drawing board.

While the CACP insists that “Canadians need to understand what lawful access is truly about”, it unfortunately resorts to headline grabbing claims that have little to do with the bill. Much like the government’s initial focus on child pornography, the CACP jumps on the recent focus on cyber-bullying, stating:

October 29, 2012 — 12 comments — News

CRTC Requires Greater Transparency on Wholesale Rates

The CRTC announced on Friday that it would require greater transparency from incumbent telecom and cable companies when setting wholesale rates. The lack of disclosure was a major source of concern during the usage based billing dispute last year.

October 29, 2012 — 2 comments — News

Del Mastro Targets Online Anonymity

Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro has raised the prospect of government regulation of online anonymity, arguing that Parliament should address the issue of forcing people to identify themselves before posting comments online.

October 26, 2012 — 10 comments — News