This is how CTV's Ivan Fecan described the prospect that the CRTC require Canadian broadcasters to spend an equal amount on Canadian programming as they do on foreign (U.S.) shows. CRTC data shows that expenditures by conventional private-sector TV on Canadian content declined in 2007 to $616 million, whereas spending […]
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Electronic Commerce Protection Act Headed To Committee Following Odd Debate
The Electronic Commerce Protection Act (Bill C-27) is headed for committee review following two days of rather strange debate in the House of Commons last Thursday and Friday. What was ensued was alternately predictable and bizarre. The predictable part was the all-party support for anti-spam legislation. MPs from all four parties talked about the need for anti-spam legislation, how it was long overdue, it is costly, it undermines confidence, etc.
The bizarre part was the discussion on the bill's implications for the do-not-call list. As I wrote soon after the bill was introduced, buried at the very end are provisions that kill the do-not-call list. Given the problems associated with the list, moving toward an opt-in approach (rather than DNCL's opt-out) could be a good thing. Yet the government seems determined to deny that the bill lays the groundwork to kill the list.
Do-Not-Call List Backfires
The Times & Transcript covers the problems with the National Do-Not-Call list.
The Star on the Do-Not-Call List
The Toronto Star features a masthead editorial on the do-not-call list, arguing that it is losing credibility and noting that if the CRTC waits much longer it will become "an invitation to harassment."
The Electronic Commerce Protection Act – The Enforcement Prohibitions
The Electronic Commerce Protection Act will accomplish little if there is not a real commitment to enforcement. The enforcement provisions form the bulk of anti-spam bill (my review of the prohibitions here, the effect on the do-not-call list here). The enforcement part of the bill includes details on who does the enforcing, investigative powers, and penalties associated with anti-spam violations. The short version is that the CRTC has been given a wide range of investigatory powers, including the power to compel ISPs to preserve transmission data. Once it concludes its investigation, it can pursue a settlement or bring a notice of violation. The penalties run as high as $10 million. There are also smaller roles for the Privacy Commissioner and Competition Bureau as well as provisions to facilitate anti-spam lawsuits.
The more detailed version is:
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