CEO of Firm that modified Blackberry, Samsung phones to ‘knowingly’ help drug cartels evade police is indicted
Two recent news stories regarding cellphone technology relate to personal privacy rights. First, Phantom Secure is a company that sells modified BlackBerry and Samsung phones, has been accused of “knowingly” selling products to drug gangs in order to help them evade law enforcement. Vincent Ramos, CEO of the company along with four associates have been indicted. […]
Question of the Week (Classes 10 & 11): Should Canadian ownership of telecommunications companies continue to be required?
This week the United States blocked the takeover of Qualcom, a U.S. company by Broadcom, a Singaporean company, ostensibly on national security grounds. Canada has had Canadian ownership rules in both broadcasting and telecom in place for a very, very long time. For years it appeared that the Canadian government was planning to allow non-Canadians […]
‘Black Tech’ facial recognition glasses
Hi everyone, I came across more AI news ! A local checkpoint in Beijing has just started using new technology , smart glasses that can pick up facial features and car registration plates, and match them in real-time with a database of suspects. The glasses are AI powered and if the glasses pick up anyone on […]
And the Award Goes to ..
Hi everyone, With the Oscars this past Sunday I thought it would be interesting to see what the TV ratings were for such a major awards show. It turns out that no matter how big the event – streaming seems to be taking over the TV industry and its nothing different from what we have […]
Runnymede Society Debate: Is Net Neutrality a Threat to Innovation?
Am honoured to have been asked to moderate this debate on Net Neutrality tomorrow in Room 104 of the Allard School of Law. The speakers will be Tom Struble, Counsel at R Street in Institute in Washington, DC, and Ian Bell, internet entrepreneur. Hope to see you there. Jon
Question of the Week (Classes 8 + 9): Should the rules regarding Canadian Content contained in the Broadcasting Act & Regulations continue?
Canadian Content regulation has for decades been a prime focus in any debate about our communications system. In the digital media age, the issue is still present but sometimes feels like it is covered up by the overwhelming changes and innovations bred through the mostly unregulated and seemingly more urgent issues of social media today. […]
Social Media to Combat Gun Violence?
Hi everyone, With the latest Florida mass shooting I, like most of you, have witnessed the outcry and response to this act of gun violence on social media. My post today is based on the following article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/21/florida-students-have-turned-social-media-into-a-weapon-for-good The article states that the Florida students have turned social media into a weapon for good. They are […]
Net Activism
Net Activism For our upcoming presentation, Laura and I are going to address the topic of net activism in its various forms. We will define the term, explore some of the main techniques of net activism, the reactions to these techniques, and possible legal responses to the emergence of various net activism movements. Please watch […]
Question of the Week (Class 7) & Class 7 Poll: John Perry Barlow and “to regulate or not to regulate” social media?
Let me start this in a perhaps unusual place. John Perry Barlow passed away on February 7 2017 at the age of 70. He was many things and could easily be nominated for any list of the most interesting, charismatic, and thoughtful people in recent memory. He possessed instant street cred for having been a […]
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