Hi everyone,
Recently came across this article which I thought was a pretty interesting read on how companies are using “dark patterns” (UI design choices) to “manipulate or heavily influence” users to make certain choices, often to obtain their consent for various data processing activities. The end of the article contains a section on how laws and regulations can be/are being used to fight this problem including some info about how the Californian laws (the CCPA & CPRA amendment) that I discussed in my presentation earlier this week have been changed. The author has written some other interesting and fairly accessible articles on some of the topics discussed in our course so far, so I’d also recommend clicking through on her profile. Here’s the link:
https://www.vox.com/recode/22351108/dark-patterns-ui-web-design-privacy
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Hello class,
Shaw Communications Inc. has decided not to participate in the June 15 auction of the 3,500-megahertz spectrum which are airwaves used to deliver wireless signals. This may open more opportunities for smaller telecommunication companies to compete in the 5G market. This decision may be due to the fact that Shaw has struck an acquisition deal with Rogers Communications Inc., thus barring Shaw from participating in the auction against Rogers. This may prove to be beneficial for consumers. As we may all be aware, phone and/or data plans have steadily been more expensive. Smaller companies, having less competition in entering the 5G market, may offer more affordable data/phone plans or at the very least, consumers will have more variety in choosing an affordable 5G plan.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-shaw-opts-out-of-key-spectrum-auction-amid-rogers-takeover/
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A US federal judge recently cleared three men of terrorism charges in part because they planned their acts over encrypted chat. The judge said in his decision that “in many respects [these chats are] no different than thinking the thought to yourself.”
This dubious judicial understand of technology is unlikely to stand for long, but I found the fact it exists at all quite fascinating. The Attorney General is of course “[exploring] all options for reconsideration of the charge moving forward.”
https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2021/03/29/gretchen-whitmer-plot-threat-paul-bellar-joseph-morrison-pete-musico/7044920002/
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https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/massive-facebook-data-breach-affecting-millions-of-canadians-was-not-reported-to-federal-privacy-watchdog/ar-BB1fn0qr?ocid=msedgntp
Recently, a cybersecurity leak occurred within media giant Facebook that led to a privacy breach of more than 533 million Facebook accounts worldwide. Alon Gal, the chief technology officer of Facebook’s cybersecurity company said the leaked database includes information about users’ phone numbers, past and current locations, birthdates, relationship statuses, bios and, in some cases, email addresses. Generally, such mass scale breaches are reported immediately in order to insulate Facebook from long term legal ramifications. This one, however, took time.
A clear estimate puts 3.49 million Facebook users in Canada having been affected by the breach. Canada’s privacy law requires organizations like Facebook to report breaches to the federal privacy commissioner, and notify affected individuals, for breaches “involving personal information that pose a real risk of significant harm to individuals.” What is interesting is that there was no report filed with the privacy commissioner regarding this incident, as Facebook stated it was an extension of a privacy breach from mid-2019 that had previously been disclosed. However, Canadian privacy organizations argue that the breach is new, and as such had to have been reported when it occurred.
The toss up between both sides comes at a time where the Liberal government is under criticism for what many see as it dragging its feet on legislation tabled in the fall to reform the private sector’s privacy law — the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). Bill C-11 is currently stuck in the house of commons, but once (if) passed would give additional powers to the privacy commissioner and create an administrative tribunal that can levy fines against private actors that fail to follow the Act.
The announcement that Facebook’s leak had been kept quiet from the Federal Privacy Commissioner comes at a very useful time for those proponents of Bill C-11 that can likely use this as fuel to push the bill through faster.
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Sup fam! My presentation is on, you guessed it, social media platforms and the echo-chamber effect that they have.
The thought for this presentation originated from a webcomic that I’m posting as a precursor. I saw it at some point during law school and it has been on my mind a lot, especially since January. The presentation explains why.
Here’s the comic: https://theoatmeal.com/comics/believe
Here’s the presentation: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YHHwXxnM8xZhWOJbfwoqPdm-vyy2pSio/view?usp=sharing
Here’s the presentation script: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZMzhK6Fj4_dV9Eg9F-SOUZNLvE-nVuJGsp1b31E2qU0/edit?usp=sharing
Thanks everyone!
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Hi everyone,
Here’s my presentation on the issues and laws surrounding child influencers on YouTube. Please note that the font displays differently in the preview than it does in the download. I recommend downloading the actual file for the best viewing experience.
Please enjoy and best of luck as we head toward exam season! Jay
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EHu59FIRUcHmBYcRZpJLEFdve7v-O1cM/view?usp=sharing
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Hi friends,
I’ve posted my presentation here: https://youtu.be/wfTqNh6YwH0
Enjoy!
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Hi everyone,
Hope you’re all doing well as we head into exam season. If you have time check out my presentation on data privacy regulation and its effects on competition in the tech sector. Hope you enjoy it, let me know if you have any questions or want to talk about anything covered in the presentation.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nbhgdtbbmdd6fmis48xd7/424-Presentation-Data-Privacy-Regulation-Monopolization-of-Tech-Aleks-Petrovic.pptx?dl=0&rlkey=i7ologhqxjht3vnzp552jwkqf
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Amazon Web Services, the internet giant’s web hosting and cloud computing division, terminated hosting of the right-wing “Twitter alternative” shortly after the Dec 6 attacks on the US Capitol. Failure to moderate the violent content violated AWS’ terms of service.
Parler filed for a preliminary injunction to reinstate services until they could proceed with a larger legal claim, and asked the court to determine the likelihood of their main case succeeding. The judge rejected the former and provided little hope for the latter.
While far from the first or largest dispute regarding large private internet companies’ abilities to moderate content, this is a fascinating example of the types of pressure driving internet users toward encrypted and decentralized technology. The size, reach, and demand for such (arguably) unsympathetic parties like Parler are unlikely to diminish in the near future, and governments will need to grow as technology does too. Stay posted for my presentation!
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/21/956486352/judge-refuses-to-reinstate-parler-after-amazon-shut-it-down
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/20461466-rothstein_order
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Hi everyone,
Last week, the US Supreme Court ruled in favour of allowing the FCC to loosen ownership restrictions on local media, partly on the grounds that the long-standing restrictions no longer served the public interest.
You can read the article here: https://www.reuters.com/article/BigStory12/idUSKBN2BO5S4
On one hand, one could argue that the restrictions that were relaxed in this case did not significantly prevent certain media conglomerates from establishing near-oligopolies on today’s media market; it remains to be seen whether relaxing these rules will significantly alter the media landscape that exists in the United States. Given the precarious state of print media, however, one could also argue that loosening these restrictions allows parent companies to make acquisitions that allow smaller outlets to survive, albeit at the cost of greater consolidation. I was surprised that the Supreme Court unanimously decided in favour of the FCC in a 9-0 judgment.
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Communications Law
