Technology companies increasingly lobby the Canadian federal government.  The Tech Lobby Project regularly submits Access to Information (ATI) requests for records relating to lobbying communications between Canadian federal government departments and companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Google, IBM, Microsoft, Netflix, Twitter, Sidewalk Labs and Uber. Read more about our ATI requests here.  Below you can find a list of the documents we’ve received recently in response to our ATI requests.

You can subscribe to receive a list of descriptions of recent ATI responses we have received by monthly email by signing up to our monthly email listserv here. For more information, or to access the documents themselves, please email Sara Bannerman at banners@mcmaster.ca

Tech Lobby News

[LOBBYING] William Watson: Stop subsidizing what people don’t watch (Financial Post)

[LOBBYING] New Brunswick blasted for ‘weak’ lobbyist registry (Telegraph Journal)

Received in March 2024

Canadian Heritage ATI Requests

Document Link	Reference
The document contains calendar details for a meeting between Canadian Heritage and Netflix on January 21, 2021.	Government of Canada, Access to Information Request Submitted to Canadian Heritage for Records Related to a “Records Relating to Registered Lobbying Communication #494526 Involving Drew Olsen, Director, Canadian Heritage (PCH), Thomas Owen Ripley, Director General, Canadian Heritage (PCH), and Netflix Inc. on January 21, 2021.” (Canadian Heritage, 2021), http://open.canada.ca/en/access-to-information.
The document contains calendar details for a meeting between Canadian Heritage and Netflix on January 21, 2021.	Government of Canada, Access to Information Request A-2023-00411 Submitted to Canadian Heritage for Records Related to a “Records Relating to Registered Lobbying Communication #496741 Involving Drew Olsen, Director, Canadian Heritage (PCH), Thomas Owen Ripley, Director General, Canadian Heritage (PCH), and Netflix Inc. on January 21, 2021.” (Canadian Heritage, 2021), http://open.canada.ca/en/access-to-information.

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ATI Re-Requests 

Document Link	Reference
The document includes an application filed by Bell Mobility to review and vary application pursuant to sections 52 and 62 of the Telecommunications Act (the Act), Part 1 of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Rules of Practices and Procedure (the Rules), and TIB 2011-2014. The document also includes email exchanges between CRTC staff regarding Bell Canada’s market numbers as well as complaints to the Chairman Ian Scott regarding service rates, telemarketing etc.	Government of Canada, Access to Information Request A-2021-00044 “Copy of A-2021-00044: All Electronic Communications Made by CRTC Chair Ian Scott and CRTC Staff, between Dec. 1, 2019 and Dec. 31, 2019 Inclusive, as Well as All Phone Call Records and Call Logs Made by or to CRTC Chair Ian Scott for the Same Period. As Pertains to Communications Regarding: Bell, Rogers, Telus, Shaw and Cogeco. Re-Requested under Access to Information Request (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, 2021), http://open.canada.ca/en/access-to-information.
The document includes an internal report conducted by CRTC on the mobile market including the average price of mobile services and household expenditures. There is also a global issue brief on Broadcasting Services in a Digital Environment. Following suit, report on Misleading or Aggressive Communications Retail Sales Practices and more.	Government of Canada, Access to Information Request A-2019-00021 “Copy of A-2019-00021: Documents Regarding: I) Lowering and Comparing Cell Phone Prices/Practices; Ii) Regulating Internet Rates, Iii) Regulating Amazon, Facebook and Google; Iv) Adding New Consumer Protection Codes in Broadcasting and Telecommunications; v) the Impact and Review of Media/Communications Concentration and; vi) Impact of Foreign Broadcast Services. Jan 1, 2018 to Oct 3, 2019.” Re-Requested under Access to Information Request (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, n.d.), http://open.canada.ca/en/access-to-information.