By: Brad McNeil, PhD Student (McMaster University)
This blog posts traces Microsoft’s lobbying activities in November and December 2022 by tracking communications reports registered by Microsoft on the Registry of Lobbyist website. This blog post presents Microsoft’s November 2022 lobbying communication reports and also presents the contracts Microsoft signed with the government valued over $10,000 for the month. Next, this blog post presents Microsoft’s December 2022 lobbying activities and communication reports and government contracts signed. Overall, this post shows that Microsoft’s lobbying activities for the combined months of November and December 2022 were about the environment and privacy concerns related to Bill C-27 (the Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022).
Microsoft Canada Inc.: November Lobbying Summary
Microsoft Canada President Chris Barry has registered six communications from November through December. Five of these communications were on the topic of “Privacy and Access to Information” and one was about the “Environment.”
Microsoft Canada’s lobbying details on the registry of lobbyist site notes that they communicate “with the Government of Canada about Bill C-27 (Digital Charter Implementation Act, 2022), more specifically the creation of the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the Personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act, and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act.”
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, notes that C-27 involves four principle objectives: 1) Gives people more control of their data online, 2) Protects children’s information 3) Addresses the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) 4) Brings Canada’s privacy laws into the 21st century.
In order to give Canadians more access over their data, Bill C-27 introduces data portability which would allow users to request access to their data so they may migrate from their current service provider to an alternative one. However, As Bryan Short of OpenMedia points out, data portability is only meaningful in a competitive industry where the consumer has several viable options when it comes to choosing a service provider. Bill C-27 is at second reading in the House of Commons.
Related to Microsoft’s ‘Environmental’ lobbying activity. On November 7, 2022, Microsoft announced its 15-year agreement with Potentia Renewables Inc and Greengate Power Corporation. The agreement allows Microsoft to utilize 543GWh of renewable wind energy for its operations in Paintearth County, Alberta. Speaking on this development, Chris Barry said: “Renewable energy supply contracts like this agreement with Potentia and Greengate are key to meeting our goal of contracting 100 percent of our energy consumption with renewable sources by 2025… This agreement with Paintearth is an important step in helping Microsoft deliver on our renewable energy commitments in Canada.”
| Communications | Lobbied | Subject Matter | Responsible Officer |
| 2022-11-16 | Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) | Privacy and Access to Information | Chris Barry |
| 2022-11-16 | Sophie Martel, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister National Defence (DND) | Environment | Chris Barry |
| 2022-11-17 | Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) | Privacy and Access to Information | Chris Barry |
| 2022-11-23 | Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Ian Foucher, Chief of Staff Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) | Privacy and Access to Information | Chris Barry |
Microsoft’s Government Contracts Signed During November and December 2022
In November 2022, Microsoft signed 21 government contracts over $10,000. In addition to the lobbying communications chart, the chart below displays all contracts valued over $10,000 signed in the month of November, 2022.
| Date of Contract | Value | Organization | Work Description |
| 2022-01-22 | $2,208,942.08 | Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat | License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) |
| 2022-01-22 | $535,733.00 | National Defence | Information technology and telecommunications consultants |
| 2022-01-22 | $960,093.10 | Global Affairs Canada | License/Maintenance fees for client software relat |
| 2022-02-22 | $20,950.20 | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software |
| 2022-02-22 | $20,950.20 | Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada | Application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software |
| 2022-02-22 | $276,087.17 | Employment and Social Development Canada | License/Maintenance fees for operating system and utility software related to servers, storage, peripherals and components |
| 2022-02-22 | $82,414.08 | Employment and Social Development Canada | License/Maintenance fees for operating system and utility software related to servers, storage, peripherals and components |
| 2022-04-22 | $2,872,130.69 | Employment and Social Development Canada | Rental of computer equipment related to production and operations (P&O) environment – All servers, storage, printers, etc. (includes all related parts and peripherals) |
| 2022-07-22 | $344,188.05 | Royal Canadian Mounted Police | Application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software |
| 2022-07-22 | $31,157.75 | National Research Council Canada | Computer equipment related to Production and Operations (P&O) environment – All servers, storage, printers, etc. (includes all related parts and peripherals) |
| 2022-09-22 | $200,135.97 | Indigenous Services Canada | Computer services |
| 2022-09-22 | $17,025.64 | Indigenous Services Canada | Computer services |
| 2022-09-22 | $50,176.00 | Canada Energy Regulator | License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) |
| 2022-16-22 | $16,388.41 | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) |
| 2022-16-22 | $16,388.41 | Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada | Client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) |
| 2022-16-22 | $540,140.00 | National Defence | Other professional services not elsewhere specified |
| 2022-21-22 | $34,127.83 | Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada | License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE) |
| 2022-22-22 | $47,161.68 | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software |
| 2022-22-22 | $47,161.68 | Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada | Application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software |
| 2022-24-22 | $24,385.99 | Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages | Information technology and telecommunications consultants |
| 2022-30-22 | $10,819.75 | Transport Canada | Networking Software |
Microsoft Canada Inc.: December Lobbying Summary and Government Contracts Signed
Microsoft registered only two communications reports in December. Both were on the subject of ‘Privacy and Access to Information’. These meetings were with members of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). In December 2022, Microsoft signed three government contracts over $10,000. On December 1, 2022, Microsoft signed two government contracts. One contract was with Indigenous Services Canada for work related to “computer services” for a total value of $29,229.49. The second contract was worth $151,646.00 and was signed with Canada Revenue Agency for work involving “License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)”. On December 8, 2022, Microsoft signed a large contract with Public Services and Procurement Canada worth $3,674, 127.10 also for “License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)”
| Communication Date | Lobbied | Subject Matter | Responsible Officer |
| 2022-12-21 | Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Surdas Mohit, A/Director Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) | Privacy and Access to Information | Chris Barry |
| 2022-12-21 | Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) | Privacy and Access to Information | Chris Barry |