Michael Geist

@mgeist.bsky.social

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Law Professor, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, University of Ottawa
www.michaelgeist.ca
Law Bytes Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5iDUCcDrkzGai0OdTgoucv
http://mgeist.substack.com

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The @lawbytes.bsky.social Podcast, Episode 209: Peter Menzies on Why the Canadian News Sector is Broken and How to Fix It www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/07/law-...

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 209: Peter Menzies on Why the Canadian News Sector is Broken and How to Fix It - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca It isn’t news that the Canadian news sector is broken: the Online News Act has caused more harm the good, the dependence on government funding and regulation has grown dramatically and undermined publ...

Most important piece on antisemitism you can read right now: much needed call from Paul Deegan and Kevin Lynch for Canada's corporate community to join the fight against antisemitism to ensure the Jewish community feels not just believed, but supported. www.policymagazine.ca/its-time-for...

It's Time for Corporate Canada to Take Action on Antisemitism - Policy Magazinewww.policymagazine.ca In a recent op ed in The Globe and Mail, University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist wrote about “the disbelief among far too many in Canada that rising

Why the University of Windsor Encampment Agreement Violates Antisemitism and Academic Freedom Standards www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/07/why-...

Why the University of Windsor Encampment Agreement Violates Antisemitism and Academic Freedom Standards - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca The University of Windsor this week reached agreement with protesters in a campus encampment that raises serious concerns of antisemitism and infringement on academic freedom. While most universities ...

The Canadian government’s efforts to regulate big tech sometimes feels like a series of high-stakes poker matches in which the government foolishly bets that readily apparent risks can be ignored. My Globe op-ed piece on the latest gamble: digital services tax www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/bc5ccfd...

There’s a global plan to tax Big Tech. Why did Canada act alone with digital services tax?www.theglobeandmail.com A new Digital Services Tax targeting Big Tech is a high risk move by the Canadian government, which had abandoned an international plan

Meta has changed its policy on the use of the term Zionism, saying it will remove content where it is used as a proxy for Jewish or Israeli people in hate speech. I raised this issue in my Globe piece on antisemitism this week. transparency.meta.com/Hate-Speech-...

Update from the Policy Forum on our approach to ‘Zionist’ as a proxy for hate speech | Transparency Centertransparency.meta.com Meta regularly publishes reports to give our community visibility into community standards enforcement, government requests and internet disruptions

The Jewish community has for months called on our political, academic and community leaders to take a stand against antisemitism. It is now apparent that these actions alone are not enough. We must also ask Canadians to simply believe us. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/bc5ccfd...

The Jewish community’s concerns are often met with disbeliefwww.theglobeandmail.com Despite statistics showing a rise in hate crimes against Jewish people, many question the data

Grateful to The Hub for posting my piece on the escalation of antisemitism in Canada over past 9 months becoming normalized as the shock value from even synagogue attacks wane and silence from the broader community becomes impossible to explain away. thehub.ca/2024/07/05/m...

Michael Geist: When antisemitism strikes too close to homethehub.ca

Court Issues Injunction Against University of Toronto Encampment on Trespass Grounds, Finds “No Doubt That Some of the Speech on the Exterior of the Encampment Rises to the Level of Hate Speech” - Mic...www.michaelgeist.ca Ontario Superior Court of Justice Markus Koehnen issued his much anticipated ruling involving the encampment at the University of Toronto late yesterday, granting the University its requested order th...

When Antisemitism Strikes Close to Home: my post on this weekend’s attacks on two Toronto synagogues www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/07/when...

When Antisemitism Strikes Close to Home - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca In the 269 days since October 7th, at least 12 synagogues and 18 Jewish schools and community centres have been attacked or vandalized in Canada. The latest two synagogue attacks took this place this ...

This was my synagogue growing up in Toronto and my parents have been members for decades. This is the reality of being Jewish in Canada in 2024 as too many remain silent or seek to downplay, deny or justify the terrifying rise of antisemitism. x.com/neveragainli...

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Government’s Choice for Chief of Human Rights Commission Cited Terrorism as a Rational Strategy With High Rates of Success www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/gove...

Government’s Choice for Chief of Human Rights Commission Cited Terrorism as a Rational Strategy With High Rates of Success - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca The government’s choice for chief of the Canadian Human Rights Commission has been mired in controversy this week given his failure to disclose a record of posts and appearances that call into questio...

Ex-Justice Min Lametti on Dattani: “Any time you mislead or conceal your past in order to advance your career, that’s problematic. And if that impedes your ability to be neutral and to do the job properly, it’s inconceivable you could remain in that role.” www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

Former justice minister David Lametti questions suitability of new human-rights chiefwww.theglobeandmail.com Birju Dattani, recently appointed to lead the Canadian Human Rights Commission, issued a statement indicating he has no intention of quitting

Virani’s Failed Human Rights Commission Choice: Why the Dattani Appointment Irreparably Harms both the Commission and Bill C-63 www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/vira...

Virani’s Failed Human Rights Commission Choice: Why the Dattani Appointment Irreparably Harms both the Commission and Bill C-63 - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca Justice Minister Arif Virani and the federal government spent years crafting Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act. After facing widespread criticism on the initial plans in 2021, the government consulted e...

Government Appoints New Chief of Canadian Human Rights Commission Who Linked To Articles Comparing Israelis to Nazis, Called for Israel Boycott, and Shared Platform With Banned Organization - Michael ...www.michaelgeist.ca The Globe and Mail features a bombshell story today on a recent government appointment of the chief of the Canadian Human Rights Commission that not only calls into question its vetting process, but t...

The @lawbytes.bsky.social Podcast, Episode 207: The State of Digital Law and Policy in Canada as Parliament Breaks for the Summer www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/law-...

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 207: The State of Digital Law and Policy in Canada as Parliament Breaks for the Summer - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca Parliament adjourned for the summer last week, meaning both the House of Commons and Senate are largely on hold until mid-September. The Law Bytes podcast focuses intensively on Canadian legislative a...

Must read on Bill C-11: “Government and the CRTC are pretending the companies paying out those hundreds of millions will simply accept lower profit margins. Unsurprisingly, some firms and industry associations have already warned prices for consumers may rise” www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...

Globe editorial: Ottawa’s levy on streaming services is no screen saverwww.theglobeandmail.com A tax in everything but name, it will raise consumers’ fees while doing little for Canadian content

Canadian government releases submissions it received as part of its consultation on copyright and generative AI. Nearly 100 participated including copyright groups, tech companies, and academics. My submission: www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/01/cana... All submissions: ised-isde.canada.ca/site/strateg...

Canadian Copyright in the Age of Generative AI: My Submission to the Government’s Copyright Consultation - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca The government’s consultation on copyright and generative AI closed last week. The submissions are not yet public, but I am pleased to post my submission, which focused on an exception for text and da...

As the House of Commons breaks for the summer, my look back at the last 10 months on digital policy. Major bills on privacy, AI, and online harms are barely moving and the other “accomplishments” on Internet streaming and news are mired in controversy. www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/road...

Road to Nowhere: Parliament Breaks For the Summer With Little Accomplished on Digital Policy - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca The House of Commons adjourned for the summer yesterday with most committees and House debate on hold until mid-September. The government talked up its accomplishments, but on the digital policy front...

The @lawbytes.bsky.social Podcast, Episode 206: James Plotkin and David Fewer on Canada’s Landmark Copyright Ruling on Fair Dealing and Digital Locks www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/law-...

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 206: James Plotkin and David Fewer on Canada's Landmark Copyright Ruling on Fair Dealing and Digital Locks - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca The debate over copyright and digital locks – technically referred to as anti-circumvention legislation – dates back more than 25 years with creation of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s ...

Government Court Filing on Bill C-11: “The Act Does Allow For the Regulation of User-Uploaded Programs on Social Media Services” www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/gove...

Government Court Filing on Bill C-11: “The Act Does Allow For the Regulation of User-Uploaded Programs on Social Media Services” - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca The public outcry over the Online Streaming Act is largely in the rear view mirror as the law is now at the CRTC facing years of regulatory and court battles. Last week, the Commission issued its firs...

Sour Grapes: Big Media Lobby Wants to Squash the New Collective Responsible For Administering Google’s $100 Million Online News Act Money www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/sour...

Sour Grapes: Big Media Lobby Wants to Squash the New Collective Responsible For Administering Google’s $100 Million Online News Act Money - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca Late last month, I wrote about the behind-the-scenes battle over the selection of a collective to administer and allocate Google’s annual $100 million to news outlets as part of its Bill C-18 deal wit...

Really pleased to be interviewed today on The Big Story podcast for a great discussion on the CRTC’s Bill C-11 streaming decision and its implications for Canadian content and consumers. thebigstorypodcast.ca/2024/06/12/w...

What exactly is "Canadian content" in 2024? — The Big Storythebigstorypodcast.ca The CRTC decided last week to levy a tax on the Canadian revenue made by the giant streaming services. This money will ostensibly go towards supporting Canadian creators and improving Canadian content...

Wrote about the importance of academic exchange and the safety concerns of Jewish faculty and students on campus. Signed this letter and would encourage other academics to do so as well. www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/05/a-po... www.unitedagainstacademicboycott.com?ref=quillett...

The @lawbytes.bsky.social Podcast, Episode 205: Len St-Aubin on What the CRTC’s Internet Streaming Ruling Means For Creators, Competition and Consumer Costs chtbl.com/track/ED9CFB...

THIS: “Platitudes on social media are worse than useless. They give undeserved cover to politicians unwilling to take concrete steps to protect Jewish-Canadian communities across the country. Jewish-Canadians need the comfort of action, not banalities.” www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/bc5ccfd...

Platitudes won’t roll back antisemitismwww.theglobeandmail.com Jewish-Canadians and their institutions cannot be allowed to become the targets of protests against Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Stopping hate requires decisive action

PM Justin Trudeau actively sought out appearance on US tech podcast. After AI funding talk, conversation shifts to social media. There’s an audible sigh when confronted with Bill C-18 failures (says “it’s not a link tax”) and downplays chance of a TikTok ban. www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/p...

A Conversation With Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, and an OpenAI Whistle-Blower Speaks Outwww.nytimes.com It turns out A.I. is surprisingly Canadian.

Pay Up and Shut Up: How The CRTC Has Removed Canadians From Broadcast and Internet Policy www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/pay-...

Pay Up and Shut Up: How The CRTC Has Removed Canadians From Broadcast and Internet Policy - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca Last December, I appeared before the CRTC as part of Bill C-11 hearings, where I emphasized the need for the Commission to pay attention to competition, consumer choice, and affordability. My takeaway...

CRTC Bill C-11 Ruling “Makes Web Giants Pay” But it is Canadian Consumers That Will Get the Bill www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/crtc...

CRTC Bill C-11 Ruling “Makes Web Giants Pay” But it is Canadian Consumers That Will Get the Bill - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca The CRTC has released its much-anticipated Bill C-11 ruling on the initial mandated contributions from Internet streaming services. The headline the Commission and government will promote is that the ...

It appears likely Bill S-210 hearings are over before really getting started. After filibusters, just three witnesses and the bill could be reported back to House unamended. My @lawbytes.bsky.social podcast this week on what more hearings might have sounded like. www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/law-...

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 204: What Could Have Been for the Bill S-210 Hearings - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca Bill S-210, the mandated age verification bill for pornography sites that in reality targets everything from Google Search to Netflix, was expected to be the subject of extensive hearings by the Stand...

Huge Win for Copyright User Rights in Canada: Federal Court Rules Digital Lock Rules Do Not Trump Fair Dealing www.michaelgeist.ca/2024/06/huge...

Huge Win for Copyright User Rights in Canada: Federal Court Rules Digital Lock Rules Do Not Trump Fair Dealing - Michael Geistwww.michaelgeist.ca The Federal Court has issued a landmark decision (Blacklock’s Reports v. Attorney General of Canada) on copyright’s anti-circumvention rules which concludes that digital locks should not trump fair de...