August 2023 Update: Facebook

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In the month of August Facebook recorded no communications with the Registry of Lobbyists. Facebook/Meta, along with Google,have been critical of new measures that would require them to  pay news sources dunder the new Online News Act. Reportedly Meta would have an estimated payout of $62 million to Canadian news outlets as per CRTC guidelines.

July 2023 Update: Facebook

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In July 2023, Facebook registered only one communication report with the Registry of Lobbyists. Facebook continued June meetings with Canadian Heritage (PCH) Deputy Minister Isabelle Mondou on the topic of “industry.” As noted in last month’s Facebook lobbying update, although Facebook states that the subject matter of these talks are industry, it is possible that the social media corporation’s recent discussions with government institutions have revolved around Bill C-18, the Online News Act. In early July, it was reported that the Canadian Government would no longer be advertising on Facebook and Instagram. Heritage Minister Pablo Rodrieguez noted that Meta had not been speaking with the Canadian Government about their decision to block news in Canada in response to Bill C-18. Minister Rodriguez notes that the Government’s withdrawal from advertising on Meta apps will cost Meta approximately $10 million in business. Quebecor and Cogeco have followed suit and pulled their advertisements form Meta platforms.

The new Heritage Minister, Pascale St-Onge, who took over for Pablo Rodrieguez on July 26, has noted that she will stand firm and refuses to give in to tech giants like Facebook. Pascale St-Onge notes that she is “deeply committed to ensuring that Canada has a free and independent press, because it’s fundamental to our democracy.”  

Facebook’s July Communication Reports

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-07-11	Isabelle Mondou, Deputy Minister Canadian Heritage (PCH) Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister (Cultural Affairs) Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Industry	Garrick Tiplady

June 2023 Update: Facebook

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In June 2023, Facebook lobbyists picked up where they left off in May, logging five more lobbying communications reports on the topic of “industry”. Although Facebook reports that their meetings were about “industry”, it is possible that their lobbying efforts have been more specifically geared towards Bill C-18 the Online News Act. As noted in the May lobbying update for Facebook, Facebook is preparing to test blocking their news functionality on Facebook and Instagram as the company has expressed its concerns about Bill C-18 which would have Meta negotiate deals with media outlets so that they may be compensated for news being shared on their platform.

On June 1st, Mickey Djuric of the Canadian Press noted that Facebook was gearing up for a news blocking test that would last for a month. Facebook has noted that the company is willing to block news permanently if Bill C-18 passes. Speaking on the plan for the news blocking test, Rachel Curran, head of public policy for Meta Canada, noted, “It won’t be a uniform experience, necessarily. Some news links won’t be shareable on Facebook, but it might not be that experience on Instagram. It will be a different experience on different surfaces”. Meta’s test will affect international media companies, but people outside Canada will not be affected by the test. Meta notes that the test aims to ensure that non media agencies do not get “caught in the dragnet” if they decide to permanently block news. On June 13, it was reported that Quebec publishers were the first to experience blocked content on Facebook. A Winipeg based digital news outlet called ChrisD.ca also had some of its content blocked from Facebook. Chris Dell of ChrisD.ca noted: “as a small local news outlet, the majority of our traffic comes from Facebook and Google. My hope is that an amicable agreement can be reached between Silicon Valley and Ottawa that doesn’t leave publishers caught in the middle.”  Anticipating their content being blocked on Facebook, Quebec based news outlet Le Journal de Quebec launched a campaign that prompted readers to come directly to their organizations website rather than clicking through Facebook.

When Bill C-18 received royal assent on June 22, Meta spokesperson Scott Reid noted, “We have repeatedly shared that in order to comply with Bill C-18, which was passed today in Parliament, content from news outlets, including news publishers and broadcasters, will no longer be available to people accessing our platforms in Canada.”

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-06-21	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy | Minister’s Office, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Brian MacKay, Senior Policy Advisor | Minister’s Office, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Jude Welch, Chief of Staff | Minister’s Office, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Industry	Garrick Tiplady
2023-06-01	Isabelle Mondou, Deputy Minister Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Industry	Garrick Tiplady
2023-06-01	Pamela Wallin, Senator Senate of Canada	Industry	Garrick Tiplady
2023-06-01	Julie Miville-Dechêne, Senator Senate of Canada Paula Simons, Senator Senate of Canada	Industry	Garrick Tiplady
2023-06-01	Donna Dasko, Senator Senate of Canada	Industry	Garrick Tiplady

May 2023 Update: Facebook

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In May 2023, Facebook registered only two communication reports. Both meetings were on the topic of “industry”. Facebook is possibly interested in current developments related to Bill C-18 which would impact their business model. Bill C-18 would make platforms like “Google and Meta compensate news organizations for posting or linking to their work.” On May 8, 2023, The Canadian Press reported that Meta had already been preparing to stop linking to news in Canada. This decision to block news on Meta’s platforms is a business decision, notes Rachel Curran, head of public policy for Meta Canada. Speaking on behalf of Meta, Curran explained “we believe that news has a real social value. The problem is that it doesn’t have much of an economic value to Meta. That is the real concern with this legislation.” On May 29, Marie Woolf of the Globe and Mail reported that Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez will keep his door open to Facebook to continue to have discussion about Bill C-18. But the Heritage Minister made it clear that he will not accept threats to withdraw services by platforms like Facebook and Google. Minister Rodriguez noted, “We may disagree on something, but there is still a lot of stuff we can do together so my door is still open to see if we can discuss”.  Certainly, Facebook will continue discussions about Bill C-18 with the Canadian Government. Facebook lobbied Senator Donna Dasko (Ontario) and Senator Paula Simons (Alberta), who are part of the Transport and Communications Standing Committee examining Bill C-18. Both Dasko and Simons have problematized Bill C-18 in the past year.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-05-19	Donna Dasko, Senator Senate of Canada	Industry	Garrick Tiplady
2023-05-19	Paula Simons, Senator Senate of Canada	Industry	Garrick Tiplady

March 2023 Lobbying Update: Facebook

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

On March 14, 2023, Facebook lobbied Senator Paula Simmons on the topic of “Industry”. This was Facebook’s first communications report for 2023. Their last communications report was in late October of 2022. Facebook does not register as many communications as other major tech companies operating in Canada, like Google and Amazon. For instance, Google actively lobbies on 23 different listed subject matters. Microsoft lobbies on 28. In comparison, Facebook lobbies about eight: Elections, Industry, National Security/Security, Privacy and Access to Information, Research and Development, Science and Technology, Taxation and Finance, and Telecommunications.   Although corporations must list details about the subject matter they lobby about, Facebook’s explanation reads “Engagement with government and parliamentarians on policies and programs impacting online digital platforms and broader policy issues. Facebook’s engagement is often at the request of government and parliamentarians.”  

While it is difficult to surmise what Facebook is lobbying about based on their descriptions of subject matter details. A survey of news articles reveals Facebook’s current Canadian interests related to Bill C-18, the Online News Bill. As explained in previous blog post, Bill C-18 would make platforms like “Google and Meta compensate news organizations for posting or linking to their work.”  Facebook is doubtlessly interested in developments surrounding Bill C-18 which would impact their business model. On March 11, the Globe and Mail reported that Meta would “block Canadians ability to view or share news content on Facebook and Instagram” if Bill C-18 became law. Meta spokesperson Lisa Laventure stated, “if the Online News Act passes in its current form, we will end the availability of news content on Facebook and Instagram for people in Canada.”  Lavanture explained Meta’s position, “A legislative framework that compels us to pay for links that we do not post, and which are not the reason the vast majority of people use out platform, is neither sustainable not workable.”

Responding to Facebook’s decision to pull news from Canada, Heritage Minster Pablo Rodriguez described Facebook’s planned reaction to the passing of Bill C-18 as a threat designed to pressure the Canadian Government to amend the Bill so that tech platforms would pay less to news organizations. Minister Rodriguez noted: “it is disappointing to see that Facebook has resorted to threats instead of working with the Canadian government in good faith.”  This track was also taken by Spokeswoman Laura Scaffidi of Heritage Canada, who noted that such scare tactics did not work in Australia and will not work in Canada either because “Canadians won’t be intimidated.” Heritage Canada maintains that “At the end of the day, all we’re asking the tech giants to do is compensate journalists when they use their work”.

On March 17 2023, the Globe and Mail reported that MPs were moving to summon Mark Zuckerberg before a Commons committee about the platforms decision to block news. The summons also called on Nick Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Facebook, and Chris Saniga, Head of Meta Canada.

In May 2023, when the Heritage Committee changed the title of their meeting with Facebook executives to “Tech Giants’ Current and Ongoing Use of Intimidation and Subversion Tactics to Evade Regulation in Canada and Across the World”, neither Zuckerberg, Clegg, nor Saniga showed up for the Heritage meeting. Instead, Kevin Chan, Meta Global Policy Director, and Rachel Curran, Head of Public Policy, Canada stood before the Heritage Committee. During the meeting Chan noted that Clegg didn’t show up precisely because of the title of the meeting was changed to from a generic description to an exact language which “presented a different framing for the meeting.” Regarding the company’s position on Bill C-18, Chan read a statement prepared by Clegg which stated that Facebook does not “benefit unfairly from publishers sharing links to news content”  on Facebook. Clegg claimed that the reverse was true, stating that it was publishers who benefit from the circulation of links on Facebook because the “Facebook Feed sent registered news publishers in Canada more than 1.9 billion clicks in the 13 months to April 2022.” Clegg noted that this would estimate to free marketing worth more than $230 million.

Although Facebook only registered one communication report presented in the chart below, this blog post points to the other mechanisms Facebook has used to pressure policy making in Canada. Overall, this episode reveals not only Facebook’s position on Bill C-18, it also highlights the diverse strategies beyond formal lobbying that major tech platforms like Facebook are willing to employ to exert pressure on policymakers in Canada.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-03-14	Paula Simons, Senator Senate of Canada	Industry	Garrick Tiplady

October 2023 Update: IBM

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

IBM recorded four communications reports that ranged from the subject matters of privacy and access to information, science and technology, and economic development. 

Notably, the company announced a partnership with consulting firm KPMG to provide systems application, and products in data processing for the energy and utilities sector. The firm has also increased its push into AI and Data development by acquiring Manta, an AI company, and working further on their quantum computing program.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-10-25	Jaxson Khan, Senior Policy AdvisorOffice of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and IndustryHouse of Commons	Privacy and Access to Information,  Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-10-25	Mark Schaan, Associate Assistant Deputy MinisterInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology,  Privacy and Access to Information	Dave McCann
2023-10-25	Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian HeritageHouse of Commons	Science and Technology,  Economic Development	Dave McCann
2023-10-30	Camille Benoit-Blouin, Regional Advisor, QuébecOffice of the Minister, Finance Canada (FIN)	Taxation and Finance	Dave McCann

September 2023 Update: IBM

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In the month of September IBM recorded one communication reports with the subject of taxation and finance and science and technology.

IBM has recently been in the news for augmenting their advanced computing and Artificial intelligence operations with a 2 million dollar commitment and expansion of the WatsonX and generative AI services they offer.

Specifically within Canada IBM has unveiled quantum computers in Quebec which will serve as a base for digital and quantum innovation within Canada. Also, they have been pointed with data protection issues and have vowed to bolster these systems in addition to the recently revealed advances in AI and advanced computing.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-09-28	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Taxation and FinanceScience and Technology	Dave McCann

August 2023 Update: IBM

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In August IBM engaged in two communications with the Registry of Lobbyists on the topics of “Science and Technology”. The same month, IBM publicly discussed the need for workplace adjustments in the wake of the current and coming wave of artificial intelligence applications.Specifically, these conversations circled how generative AI will interfere with traditional workers and day-to-day tasks. As well in August, IBM sold their weather network affiliates and services to a private equity firm..

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-08-16	William Harvey-Blouin, Regional Advisor, Québec | Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-08-04	William Harvey-Blouin, Regional Advisor, Québec | Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann

July 2023 Update: IBM

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In July 2023, IBM registered only two lobbying communication reports with the Registry of Lobbyists. Both were on the topic “science and technology.” As noted in previous IBM monthly blog posts, IBM actively lobbies about Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act –“specifically those provisions that apply to data protection.” As noted last month, Bill C-27 also aims to introduce “new rules to strengthen Canadian’s trust in the development and deployment of AI systems.” This month, Dave McCann, President of IBM Canada spoke on IBM’s new AI and data platform tailored to corporate use. McCann, along with IBM Canada’s general manager, Frank Attaie, noted that AI for corporations must involve the “removal of any and all biases in a very auditable fashion down to the base code, and then raising the right risk, regulatory, and ethical standards.” It is possible that IBM is lobbying about Bill C-27 as the corporation continues to roll out it’s new Watsonx AI and data platform.

IBM’s July Communication Reports

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-07-31	Isabelle Grenier, Senior Advisor, Regional Affairs | Office of the Québec Lieutenant, House of Commons	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-07-31	Anson Duran, Senior Policy Director | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann

June 2023 Update: IBM

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In June 2023, IBM logged only two communications reports with the Registry of Lobbyists. Both meetings were on the topic “science and technology”.

In late June IBM took over the software company Apptio for $4.6 billion. Deb Pimentel, Vice President of Data, AI and automation at IBM Canada notes that “Businesses are transitioning to an AI-first mentality. We have the opportunity to fundamentally reimagine how work gets done.”  As Canada and other countries look to regulate how AI is implemented across industries, IBM ensures that the company follows “ethical practices and design principles that augment people, not replace them, so we’re looking to free them up to do much more interesting work.” In early May 2023, IBM released Watsonx, a new AI platform designed to make businesses more efficient. Anticipating the loss of jobs caused by such technologies that make human workers redundant, Dave McCann, President of IBM Canada, points to IBM SkillsBuild, which aims to prepare workers “for jobs in fields like cybersecurity, data analytics, software engineering and information technology before the era of AI fully ushers in.”  McCann notes that IBM SkillsBuild will “provide an estimated 35,000 Canadians with skills that will allow them to participate in a rapidly evolving job economy, and better protect them from imminent layoffs.”  

While Pimentel speaks of the AI-first mentality of industry which IBM seeks to support with its technologies, McCann, speaks of IBM’s “human-first approach.” This shift in the marketplace presents a big re-skilling opportunity, one that we are moving toward with a thoughtful, human-first approach.”

As IBM rolls out their Industry AI program WatsonX, it is possible that they are lobbying about Bill C-27 the Digital Charter Implementation Act (2022) which aims to introduce “new rules to strengthen Canadian’s trust in the development and deployment of AI systems.”

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-06-29	Anson Duran, Senior Policy Director | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-06-09	Anson Duran, Senior Policy Director | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann

May 2023 Update: IBM

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In May 2023, IBM logged two communications reports both on the topic “science and technology”. On May 31, President of IBM Canada, Dave McCann wrote a guest essay in the Globe and Mail on Canada’s current technology skills gap which he argues will be “a significant challenge across many industries”  if left unaddressed. McCann notes, “Canadian organizations must invest in building a workforce with the skills needed for a digital economy if the country is to remain competitive globally.” Although IBM did not lobby specifically about industry this month, it is possible that their lobbying this month was related to McCann’s expressed concerns. IBM has led initiatives to support tech skills education in Canada. In 2019, it launched a tuition-free tech program  in conjunction with Six Nations Polytechnic in Brantford Ontario. IBM’s registry of lobbyist profile notes that they communicate with “government officials about Canada’s Digital Economy Strategy… providing recommendations to the Government of Canada on how to encourage global investment in jobs and innovation in Canada.”  

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-05-31	Patrick Boucher, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch Indigenous Services Canada (ISC)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-05-31	Gregory Smolynec, Deputy Commissioner Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann

March and April 2023 Lobbying Update: IBM

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

This brief blog post examines IBM’s lobbying activities through communication reports through the months of March and April 2023. Additionally, this post lists all government contracts IBM signed through the same period.

The previous Tech Lobby monthly update on IBM for January and February 2023, noted that IBM’s lobbying focus for that period was on the topic of “science and technology” and was likely related to the production of semiconductors in Canada. In March and April 2023, IBM continued to lobby on the topic of “science and technology”. In March 2023, IBM registered one communication report on the 29^th with a policy advisor at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). For April 2023, IBM registered three communication reports presented in the charts below. All communications reports indicate that IBM continues to lobby about science and technology. IBM’s registry of lobbyists profile reveals that the company is focussed on promoting innovation in Canada and increasing usage and “investment in innovative technologies such as Cloud computing and software analytics”.  

As reported in a previous blog post on IBM’s recent lobbying activities, President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau announced an agreement on March 23, 2023 regarding the production of semiconductors. IBM also signed on this agreement to “develop semiconductor capacity and ease reliance on foreign makers”. On March 23, 2023, Trudeau stated: “With growing competition, including from an increasingly assertive China, there’s no doubt why it matters that we turn to each other now to build up a North American market on everything from semiconductors to solar panel batteries”.  IBM Canada is key to the success of the new agreements. As the White House noted, “Both countries will advance a cross-border packaging corridor, beginning with Canada and IBM providing a significant investment to develop new and expanded packaging and testing capabilities at its Bromont [Quebec] facility.”  

The following charts provide IBM’s lobbying communications reported in March and April 2023.

IBM Canada Corporation: March 2023 Lobbying Summary

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-03-29	Anson Duran, Senior Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann

 IBM Canada Corporation: April 2023 Lobbying Summary

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-04-12	Kimberly Luce, Regional Advisor (Québec) | Office of the Minister of Sport, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-04-18	Jacquie Manchevsky, Assistant Deputy Minister, Data Centres Services Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-04-19	Nutan Behki, Assistant Deputy Minister, Project Management and Delivery Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann

In March 2023, IBM signed 13 government contracts valued over $10,000. The total of all 13 contracts signed in the month of March totals approximately $603,326,378.00. The following chart presents IBM’s government contracts valued over $10,000 signed in March, 2023.

IBM Contracts Signed Valued Over $10,000

Date Signed	Contract Value	Government Department	Work Description
March 6, 2023	$1,359,399.04	Shared Services Canada	License/Maintenance fees for operating system and utility software related to servers, storage, peripherals and components
March 8, 2023	$10,398.06	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)
March 20, 2023	$250,128.11 (Joint contract with Donna Cona Inc.)	Employment and Social Development Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
March 20, 2023	$126,380.52 (Joint contract with Donna Cona Inc.)	Employment and Social Development Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
March 21, 2023	$189,570.78 (Joint contract with Donna Cona Inc.)	Employment and Social Development Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
March 21, 2023	$126,380.52 (Joint contract with Donna Cona Inc.)	Employment and Social Development Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
March 21, 2023	$210,634.20 (Joint contract with Donna Cona Inc.)	Employment and Social Development Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
March 22, 2023	$286,126.79 (Joint contract with Donna Cona Inc.)	Employment and Social Development Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
March 24, 2023	$168,875.28 (Joint contract with Donna Cona Inc.)	Employment and Social Development Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
March 27, 2023	$23,020.79	Fisheries and Oceans Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software
March 28, 2023	$60,376.82	National Film Board	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
March 29, 2023	$219,544.76 (Joint contract with Donna Cona Inc.)	Employment and Social Development Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
March 30, 2023	$600,295,542.15	Shared Services Canada	License/Maintenance fees for operating system and utility software related to servers, storage, peripherals and components

January and February 2023 Lobbying Update: IBM

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

This brief blog post presents IBM’s lobbying communication reports through the months of January and February 2023. As noted in an earlier company profile blog post featuring IBM, the lobbying practices of IBM Canada have not received as much journalistic attention as other large tech companies like Uber, Netflix, and Google. This blog post uses news articles to and information from IBM’s Registry of Lobbyists profile.  In January and February 2023, IBM logged a total of five communications reports with various government officials. Each communication report was about “science and technology.” IBM’s profile with the Registry of Lobbyists notes that the company communicates “with government officials about the Strategic Innovation Fund (“SIF”), more specifically funding for innovation.” The SIF “provides major investments in innovative projects that will help grow Canada’s economy for the well-being of all Canadians.” The fund is developed to support “research, development, and commercialization of new products and services” and to attract new investments to Canada that will create jobs, as well as “public-private partnerships to develop and demonstrate new technologies.” IBM’s January and February 2023 lobbying communications may have been about the recent passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, a Canada-US agreement “to facilitate investment to promote secure and resilient semiconductor supply chains, creating jobs in both countries.” Charles Manel reported that IBM and that Canadian government agreed to a “significant investment to develop new and expanded packaging and testing capabilities at its Bromont facility.”  This development will allow Canada to contribute to the development of semiconductors and printed circuit boards in North America.

IBM January 2023 Communication Reports

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-01-20	Ian Foucher, Chief of Staff Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Anson Duran, Senior Policy Director Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann

IBM February 2023 Communication Reports

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-02-02	Simon Kennedy, Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) François-Philippe  Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry House of Commons	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-02-16 (Update)	Boyan Gerasimov, Director of Policy Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Mitch Davies, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister & Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Anson Duran, Senior Policy Advisor Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Françis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-02-22	Pascale St-Onge, Member of Parliament for Brome—Missisquoi House of Commons	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2023-02-27	Mary Gregory, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Industry Sector Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann

November and December 2022 Lobbying Update: IBM

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Student (McMaster University)

IBM Canada Ltd.: November and December Lobbying Summaries

Dave McCann, President of IBM Canada, continued his October talks withMinisters of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED). McCan met ISED once in November and again in December, 2022 to discuss ‘Science and Technology’. IBM’s lobbying information profile on the registry of lobbyist website notes that the company is broadly interested in “Communicating with government officials, in general, about regional economic development. The goal of these communications is to advocate for robust regional economic development strategies.”  On December 9, 2022, IBM announced the creation of a client innovation centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick that will create 250 full time jobs in the area related to “application developers, technical testers, business analysts, customer experience workers, design consultants, and workers in digital transformation.” The Client Innovation Centre was backed by the provincial government. Opportunities New Brunswick is investing $4.8 million to help IBM create these jobs. Arlene Dunn, minister responsible for Opportunities in New Brunswick noted “Many of the world’s most successful companies have discovered our province because of our winning combination of people, diversity, agility, infrastructure and innovation. Through investments like this one, we are building upon New Brunswick’s reputation as an IT hub.”

November 2022 Lobbying Communications for IBM

Communications	Lobbied	Subject Matter	Responsible Officer
2022-11-22	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann

December 2022 Lobbying Communications for IBM

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matter	Responsible Officer
2022-12-15	Anson Duran, Senior Policy Director Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann
2022-12-16	Cheryl Cardinal, Director of Policy and Indigenous Procurement Office of the Minister, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Science and Technology,  Government Procurement	Dave McCann

IBM Government Contracts Signed During November and December 2022

Although IBM did not register many lobbying communications from November to December 2022, IBM was busy signing government contracts during these months. From November to December 2021, IBM signed 28 government contracts, each valued over $10,000.The chart below displays all contracts valued over $10,000 signed in the months of November and December 2022. This list was complied from content available on the Search Government Contracts over $10,000 site.  

Date of Contract	Value	Organization	Work Description
2022-11-01	$83,178.36	Statistics Canada	License/Maintenance fees for Application Software (including COTS) and Application Development and Delivery Software
2022-11-01	$242,693.03	Parks Canada	License/Maintenance fees for Application Software (including COTS) and Application Development and Delivery Software
2022-11-01	$37,266.37	Public Service Commission of Canada	License/Maitenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)
2022-11-01	$161,315.24	Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada	License/Maintenance fees for App.Software
2022-11-01	$78,239.85	Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada	License/Maintenance fees for App.Software
2022-11-01	$1,577,644.49	Indigenous Services Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software
2022-11-01	$796,909.01	Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)
2022-11-01	$301,211.56	Canadian Food Inspection Agency	License/Maintenance fees for operating system and utility software related to servers, storage, peripherals and components
2022-11-01	$357,824.56	Canadian Food Inspection Agency	License/Maintenance fees for operating system and utility software related to servers, storage, peripherals and components
2022-11-01	$437,107.56	Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
2022-11-03	$15,603.25	Privy Council Office	License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)
2022-11-04	$32,424.22	Shared Services Canada	License/Maintenance fees for operating system and utility software related to servers, storage, peripherals and components
2022-11-07	$10,415.50	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)
2022-11-08	$419,186.73	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
2022-11-08	$723,583.71	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
2022-11-15	$369,188.09	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
2022-11-15	$73,902.61	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
2022-11-15	$235,158.99	Global Affairs Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software relat
2022-11-16	$123,373.76	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
2022-11-21	$131,445.38	Health Canada	Lic/Maint fees Client Software
2022-11-28	$918,607.30	Fisheries and Oceans Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software rel
2022-12-01	$31,459.20	Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
2022-12-01	$31,459.20	Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
2022-12-02	$7,876,154.25	Public Services and Procurement Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)
2022-12-05	$220,350.00	Canadian Food Inspection Agency	License/Maintenance fees for operating system and utility software related to servers, storage, peripherals and components
2022-12-07	$503,325.56	Shared Services Canada	Computer equipment related to production and operations (P&O) environment-All servers, storage, printers, etc. (includes all related parts and peripherals)
2022-12-09	$17,569,259.95	Public Services and Procurement Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)
2022-12-16	$176,702.19	Veterans Affairs Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)

October 2022 Lobbying Updates for IBM Canada Ltd.  

By: Helen Beny, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

On October 12^th, Dave McCann met with the Ministers of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) and the National Research Council (NRC) to discuss “science and technology.”

On November 10^th  IBM announced a new partnership with Net Zero Atlantic –a new member of their IBM Sustainability Accelerator Program. The partners will work to create digital tools to help Indigenous communities in Atlantic Canada make informed decisions regarding energy use, severe weather, and climate change.  

IBM Canada Ltd. Lobbying Summary October 2022

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-10-12	Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry House of Commons Mitch Davies, President National Research Council (NRC)   Anson Duran, Senior Policy Advisor I Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)   Ian Foucher, Chief of Staff Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President

July and September 2022 Lobbying Updates for IBM

By: Helen Beny, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Over the past century, IBM Canada has invested in Canada’s research and development. In the past three months, IBM has lobbied the government ten times regarding science and technology. IBM has invested in Canada’s research and development and in February 2022, IBM and the Government of Quebec launched a partnership to accelerate research in new energy solutions, life sciences, quantum computing, AI, and high-performance computing. In May, IBM partnered with Newfoundland and Labrador and invested $18 million to strengthen research and development. They launched two initiatives –the Centre for Analytics, Informatics and Research (CAIR) and the Accelerated Analytics and Machine Learning (AAML) project. IBM’s Dave McCann and Bridget Howe met with members of the Office of the Minister Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). In the past three months six out of the ten communications have been with the ISED office. IBM is actively engaged with the Canadian government to discuss Canada’s copyright framework for Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things. 

IBM Canada Ltd. Lobbying Summary (July – September 2022)

Communication Date	DPOH, Position Title | Government Institution	Subject Matters	Lobbyist
2022-09-29	Anson Duran, Senior Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Boyan Gerasimov, Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-09-29	Gérard Deltell, Member of Parliament for Louis-Saint-Laurent House of Commons	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-09-21	Ty Curran, Director, Policy and Issues Management | Office of the Minister, Public Safety Canada (PS) Rob Jamieson, Senior Advisor | Office of the MInister, Public Safety Canada (PS)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-09-21	Jasraj Singh Hallan, Member of Parliament for Calgary Forest Lawn House of Commons	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-09-21	Marie-France Lalonde, Member of Parliament for Orléans House of Commons	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-09-21	Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for Windsor—Tecumseh House of Commons	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-09-21	Corinne Havard, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, National Defence (DND) Tristan Laycock, Director of Parliamentary Affairs | Office of the Minister, National Defence (DND)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-09-21	Corinne Havard, Policy Advisor National Defence (DND) Wilder Walker-Stewart, Special Assistant-Policy National Defence (DND	Economic Development, Employment and Training, Government Procurement, Intellectual Property, Research and Development, Science and Technology	Bridget Howe, Consultant
2022-09-21	Anson Duran, Senior Policy Director Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-09-21	Anson Duran, Senior Policy Director Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED)	Economic Development, Industry, Research and Development, Science and Technology	Bridget Howe, Consultant
2022-08-09	Francis Bilodeau,  Associate Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-08-08	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-08-05	Jenna Sudds, Member of Parliament for Kanata—Carleton House of Commons	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-08-02	Peter Opdam, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-07-21	Sylvain Chalut, Managing Director & Chief Information Officer Bank of Canada Filipe Dinis, Chief Operating Officer Bank of Canada Tiff Macklem, Governor Bank of Canada	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-07-11	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-07-10	Anson Duran, Senior Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President
2022-07-05	Elisabeth d’Amours, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Transport Canada (TC)	Science and Technology	Dave McCann, President

October 2023 Update: Netflix

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

Netflix has returned to lobbying after a brief hiatus and recorded two communications reports both on the subject matters of arts and culture and broadcasting. 

Interestingly, one was put forth by a consultant and the others responsible officer was registered within the company. Within this month Netflix saw an influx of subscribers and also increased their cost of membership. Another reason it made news was due to the intensity of controlling password sharing efforts by members. In addition to this, the digital media company announced its plans to start within the retail space.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-10-23	Matthew Gray, Senior Policy AdvisorOffice of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture,  Broadcasting	ConsultantLobbyist: Subrata Bhattacharjee, Borden Ladner Gervais
2023-10-23	Matthew  Gray , Senior Policy AdvisorCanadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture,  Broadcasting	Reg Thompson

September 2023 Update: Netflix

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

Netflix recorded no communications in September.

August 2023 Update: Netflix

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

Netflix recorded no communications with the Registry of Lobbyists in the month of August. However, they did launch a new service that would allow customers to stream video games which could be included in future discussions and communications.

May 2023 Update: Netflix

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In May 2023, Netflix registered two communication reports with the Registry of Lobbyists. One meeting was on the topic of “broadcasting” while the other was on “Consumer Issues, Telecommunications, Broadcasting, Arts and Culture”. It is difficult to interpret exactly what these meetings were about, however, it is likely that Netflix continues to lobby about the implementation of Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act which became law on April 27, 2023. See this recent blog post for recent developments on Netflix’s position on Bill C-11.

The following table presents Netflix’s lobbying communication reports logged in the month of May 2023.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-05-16	Alicia Barin, Vice-Chairperson, Broadcasting Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Adam Scott, Vice-Chairperson Telecommunications, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Scott Shortliffe, Executive Director Broadcasting Chairperson’s Office, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)	Broadcasting	Reg Thompson
2023-05-12	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Consumer Issues, Telecommunications, Broadcasting, Arts and Culture	Reg Thompson
2023-05-12	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister | Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Arts and Culture, Consumer Issues, Telecommunications, Broadcasting	Subrata Bhattacharjee (Consultant)

April 2023 Lobbying Update: Netflix

In April 2023, Netflix logged only one communication report which is presented in the following table.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-04-21	Simon Kennedy, Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Canada (ISED) Industry	Subrata Bhattacharjee (Consultant)

March 2023 Lobbying Update: Netflix

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In March 2023, Netflix lobbied Canadian Heritage on the topic of “Arts and Culture, Broadcasting”. On the registry of lobbyist website, Netflix describes its lobbying focus related to “Arts and Culture” as the “global distribution of content in relation to cultural export policies.” In the TechLobby’s February 2023 monthly update on Netflix, it was clear that the streaming company was deeply invested in Canada’s Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Bill. The bill would obligate streaming companies to “promote Canadian films, TV and music, and contribute financially to Canada’s cultural industries.”

On March 22, 2023, Marie Woolf of the Globe and Mail reported that U.S. President Joe Biden had been “urged to escalate concerns about the impact of two Canadian bills on Google, Facebook and Netflix”  which are U.S based companies. Additionally, a letter signed by 10 different trade associations, “including the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Foreign Trade Council  and the Information Technology Industry Council”  raised the issue that Bill C-11 would infringe the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The letter stated the coalition’s concern that  “Canada is pursuing a number of problematic proposals and actions that could significantly limit the ability of U.S. companies to export their goods and services and fairly compete in the Canadian market.”  The letter argued that If passed, the bill “could have disastrous consequences for content production and distribution and could inspire other countries to implement similar content-preference schemes.”  As noted in an previous TechLobby monthly blog post, Canadian Lawyer Lawrence Herman has noted that this type of intervention by American politicians in Canada’s pending legislation reflects “a well-orchestrated lobbying effort by the major digital platforms”.

The following chart presents Netflix’s March 2023 lobbying activity.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-03-24	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH) Matthew Gray, Policy Advisor Canadian Heritage (PCH) Jude Welch, Chief of Staff to the Minister Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture, Broadcasting	Reg Thompson

February 2023 Update: Netflix

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Netflix did not log any communications reports through December 2022 or January 2023. However, in February 2023, Netflix picked up where it had left off in November 2022, registering three communications reports on the topic “arts and culture” and “broadcasting.” In Netflix’s November monthly update blog post, it was noted that Netflix’s lobbying activities primarily revolved around Bill C-11. Bill C-11 aims to regulate digital streaming platforms such as Netflix by requiring them to create and promote a certain percentage of Canadian content and make it accessible to Canadian users. 

Netflix has long expressed its discontent with Bill C-11. Early in the legislative process Netflix made a submission to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage about the Study of Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts. Submitted by Stéphane Cardin, Director of Public Policy at Netflix, the submission highlighted Netflix’s investments in Canada. Netflix reminded Canada that in 2020, over 40 original Canadian produced titles were released on the platform. The submission also reminded Canadian Heritage that in 2017, Netflix established Netflix Canada, which was the platforms “first permanent production presence outside of the U.S.,” and committed to Canada under the Investment Canada Act which obligates Netflix to invest “a minimum of $500 million over five years in production activity across the country.”

On October 4, 2022, Cardin appeared before the Standing Committee on Transport and Communications. Again, Cardin spoke to Netflix’s investment in Canada and their active promotion of Canadian content. Cardin raised Netflix’s concerns about Bill C-11 stating, “We believe a new legislative framework should recognize that streaming services provide an unparalleled opportunity to promote Canadian stories to global audiences.”  Cardin reminded the committee that Netflix has “invested more than $3.5 billion in Canadian production since 2017.”

Netflix’s reminders of the company’s investment in Canada may be attempts to have the Canadian government reconsider its efforts to indirectly regulate Netflix’s recommender systems for users in Canada. Cardin expressed that although Bill C-11 has a “noble objective”, it threatens to allow the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to “force Netflix to serve up Canadian films and TV programs people might not want to watch.”  Cardin claims Bill C-11 creates “a situation where you will force a certain content option onto a viewer and it is something that they are not interested in: It’s a Canadian horror film and someone is only interested in Canadian romantic comedies. That results in that show being viewed less favourably, and that has an impact.” 

Such statements have contributed to a wider concern that Bill C-11 constitutes a censorship Bill. For instance, Senator David Admas Richards an acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, claimed that Bill C-11 was “censorship passing as national inclusion.” Richards concerns is primarily related to the powers that Bill C-11 would give the CRTC to decide what does and doesn’t count as Canadian content. Likewise, Matt Hatfeild Campaigns Director for the internet advocacy group OpenMedia, noted that Bill C-11 is “potentially regulating people’s individual expression” by determining what Canadians can watch.

As noted in an earlier blog post, although Ian Scott stated in a June 2022 Senate meeting that the CRTC might tell platforms to “manipulate it (the algorithm) to produce particular outcomes,” the CRTC is primarily interested in an outcome where Canadian content is being promoted by streaming platforms, regulators are less interested in the specific tools they apply to generate that outcome. Bill C-11 does not seek to control the algorithms of recommendations systems like Netflix; it merely dictates a certain promotion of Candain content to make it more discoverable. Bill C-11 specifically rules against the government tinkering with the algorithms of streaming services. As Marie Woolf points out, “A clause in the bill would prevent the CRTC making an order requiring the “use of a specific computer algorithm or source code.”

Netflix is also worried that the definition of Canadian content is too broad. Cardin added that under the current definition of Canadian content  “many productions made in Canada with Canadian actors and crew might not count as Canadian, because Netflix or a company from outside Canada owns the intellectual property rights.”  Canadian film industry leaders have also been concerned about the definition of Canadian content because that definition will be re-examined after Bill C-11 passes. Once Bill C-11 had gone through its third reading in the Senate on February 2, 2023, Canadian film industry leaders expressed their concerns that Bill C-11 could be disadvantageous for Canadian filmmakers and TV producers because it would produce a “two tiered system” for Canadian production and foreign players. Essentially, foreign streaming services like Netflix would not be held to the same standard for Canadian content as Canadian production companies. This would give streaming services an edge over Canadian production companies.

The following table presents Netflix’s communication reports from the federal lobbyist registry for the month of February 2023.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-02-03	Jude Welch, Chief of Staff to the Minister Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture	Greg Maceachern (Consultant)
2023-02-03	Jude Welch, Chief of Staff to the Minister Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture	Reg Thompson
2023-03-24	Matthew  Gray , Policy Advisor Canadian Heritage (PCH) Jude Welch, Chief of Staff to the Minister Canadian Heritage (PCH) Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture, Broadcasting	Reg Thompson

November 2022 Update: Netflix

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Student (McMaster University)

Netflix Services Canada ULC: November Lobbying Summary

Netflix Services Canada ULC is a subsidiary of Netflix Inc. Reg Thompson, President of Netflix Services Canada ULC, registered four communications with Directors of Policy of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and Canadian Heritage (PCH) on the subject matter of “Arts and Culture, Broadcasting.”

Scott’s comments signal a subtle change in tone, suggesting a lighter approach to the regulation of Canadian content on streaming service operating in Canada than originally thought. Initially, in June of 2022, Scott claimed that the regulator may require platforms to “manipulate [the algorithm] to produce particular outcomes.”  This, he seemed to clarify in November, may not be the case. Rather, Scott argues that the CRTC is interested primarily in an outcome where Canadian content is being promoted by streaming platforms, regulators are less interested in the specific tools they apply to generate that outcome.

On December 9, 2022, legal scholar Michael Geist suggested that part of the problem with Bill C-11 is what counts as Canadian content that streaming platforms are being asked to promote. Geist notes that although a program can be produced, filmed, and about Canada, if Netflix owns the intellectual property that program will not count as Canadian content. Because the criteria for CanCon remains somewhat unclear for platforms and their users, Geist notes that the CRTC has forced Netflix into a uncomfortable regulatory position.  

Geist’s article suggests that Netflix’s meetings with the CRTC and Canadian Heritage are about what should count as CanCon, and continuing discussions about whether, or if at all, user generated content would be regulated under Bill C-11. Netflix has significant interest in these communications because, as Geist notes: “Netflix pumps billions of dollars into film and television production and content licensing in Canada; it spends more on dramatic film and television production in Canada than any Canadian broadcaster.”  

The following table charts Netflix’s logged communication reports for the month of November 2022. Netflix logged no communication reports with the Registry of Lobbyist for the month of December 2022. The information provided in this chart come from Netflix Canada’s profile on the Registry of Lobbyist website.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-11-08	Michael Craig, Director | Broadcasting Chairperson’s Office | Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) – Scott Shortliffe, Executive Director | Broadcasting Chairperson’s Office | Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)	Arts and Culture, Broadcasting	Reg Thompson, President
2022-11-24	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy | Canadian Heritage (PCH) – Ashley Michnowski, Director of Communications | Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture, Broadcasting	Reg Thompson, President
2022-11-24	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy Minister’s Office, Canadian Heritage (PCH) – Ashley Michnowski, (Acting) Chief of Staff Minister’s Office, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture, Broadcasting	Greg Maceachern (Consultant)
2022-11-24	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH) – Ashley Michnowski, Director of Communications Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture, Broadcasting	Christopher McCluskey (Consultant)

October 2022 Update for Netflix Services Canada ULC

By: Helen Beny, Ph.D Candidate (McMaster University)

Netflix has also outlined their concerns regarding Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. Netflix in particular has warned the committee that the bill could allow the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to serve Canadians content that they may not be interested in watching. In October, the President Reg Thompson registered communications with various members of the Canadian Heritage Office where “arts and culture, broadcasting and consumer issues” were discussed . Following suit, Thompson registered communications with Senator Paula Simmons regarding the same subject matter.

Netflix Services Canada ULC Lobbying Summary

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-10-03	Jude Welch, Chief of Staff to the Minister Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture	Greg Maceachern (Consultant)
2022-10-04	Paula Simons, Senator Senate of Canada	Arts and Culture, Broadcasting, Consumer Issues	Reg Thompson, President
2022-10-04	Paula Simons, Senator Senate of Canada	Arts and Culture, Broadcasting, Consumer Issues	Greg Maceachern (Consultant)
2022-10-03	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH) Matthew Gray, Policy Advisor Canadian Heritage (PCH) Ashley Michnowski, Director of Communications Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Arts and Culture, Broadcasting, Consumer Issues	Reg Thompson, President

October 2023 Lobbying Update: Oracle

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

Oracle recorded no communications.

September 2023 Lobbying Update: Oracle

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In the month of September Oracle recorded 1 communication report with the subject matter with Government Procurement. 

Oracle reportedly had a difficult fiscal quarter and is seeing a slow adoption of their new Cloud services. However, Loblaws has signed a contract with the cloud operator to modernize its data collection and protection. Another point of growth to mention is a furthering of their partnership with Microsoft. This would allow for a deployment of Oracle cloud services within Microsofts Azure infratsructure.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-09-26	Shannon Archibald, ADM | Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Government Procurement	Kevin Tetreault, Edelman

August 2023 Lobbying Update: Oracle

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In August Oracle submitted two communications with the Registry of Lobbyists on the topics of “Government Procurement”. 

During August Oracle introduced more features to their cloud services which would allow enterprises to run applications on proprietary optimized infrastructure within individual data centers that would enforce data security and help to meet low-latency requirements.  This new service was developed to provide internal cloud infrastructure for sensitive data that is unable to leave the premises. It would combine original on premise IT services with Oracle Cloud seamlessly, offering the first service of its kind. Oracle Cloud infrastructure is the fastest growing cloud service in the technology sector, so it comes as no surprise that they could have had lobbyists attempting to sell the service. 

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-08-17	Robert Ianiro, ADM | Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Government Procurement	Kevin Tetreault, Edelman
2023-08-15	Kristina Casey, Chief Information Officer | Transport Canada (TC)	Government Procurement	Kevin Tetreault, Edelman

June 2023 Lobbying Update: Oracle

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In June 2023, Oracle registered only one communication report on the topic of “government procurement.” Oracle continues to seek government contracts related to innovating public service delivery. As noted in this blog post, securing government contracts continues to be a key strategy for Oracle in the United States in Canada. Oracle signed five government contracts valued over $10,000 in June 2023. The contracts are listed below.

Oracle June Communication Reports

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-06-15	Robert Ianiro, ADM Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Government Procurement	Kevin Tetreault (Consultant)

Oracle Contracts Signed Valued over $10,000

Date Signed	Value	Government Departments	Work Description
June 5, 2023	$212,429.37	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
June 9, 2023	$293,969.50	National Defence	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
June 12, 2023	$111,759.18	Royal Canadian Mounted Police	License/Maintenance fees for application software (including COTS) and application development and delivery software
June 14, 2023	$66,698.93	Public Services and Procurement Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)
June 29, 2023	$1,698,624.69	Public Services and Procurement Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants

April 2023 Lobbying Update: Oracle

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Oracle did not register any lobbying communications for the month of March, 2023. On April 18, 2023, Oracle Canada lobbied Executive Vice President, Scott Jones of Shared Services Canada on the topic of “government procurement.”  On the registry of lobbyist website  government procurement is the only subject matter that Oracle Canada lists as a topic they lobby about. As noted in a previous blog post,  Oracle describes its activities related to lobbying on government procurement as follows: “Oracle seeks to identify and secure federal procurement opportunities as it relates to innovating public service delivery.” As noted in this blog post, securing government contracts continues to be a key strategy for Oracle in the United States in Canada.

On March 24, 2023, Oracle signed a contract valued at $85,514.34 with Infrastructure Canada for work related to licence/maintenance fees for “App.Software”.  This marks Oracle’s 37^th government contract signed worth more than $10,000 in the year 2023. This ranks Oracle with the second most government contracts signed between Google (6 contracts), Amazon (30 contracts) , and Microsoft (100 contracts).  

The following chart presents Oracle’s lobbying activity for April 2023.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-04-18	Scott Jones, Executive Vice President | President’s Office, Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Government Procurement	Kevin Tetreault (Consultant)

February 2023 Lobbying Update: Oracle

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

This brief blog post presents Oracle’s lobbying communication reports submitted for February 2023. In February 2023, Oracle only logged two communication reports both with the Registry of lobbyist on the topic of “government procurement.” Oracle’s profile in the Registry of Lobbyists notes that the company actively” “seeks to identify and secure federal procurement opportunities as it relates to innovating public service delivery”. Though it is hard to interpret what Oracle lobbied Shared Services Canada about, securing government contracts continues to be an important objective for Oracle as the company competes with larger tech platforms in the realm of cloud services. Through January and February 2023, Oracle signed two government contracts valued over $10,000. On January 23, 2023, Oracle signed a contract valued at $10,738.95 with the National Film Board for work related to “License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)”.  On February 24, 2023 Oracle signed a contract valued at $72,729.92 with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for work related to “License/Maintenance fees for App Software.”  

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-02-16	Robert Ianiro, ADM Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Government Procurement	Kevin Tetreault (Consultant)
2023-02-16	Robert Ianiro, ADM Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Government Procurement	Kevin Tetreault (Consultant)

November and December 2022 Lobbying Update: Oracle

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Student (McMaster University)

This brief blog post presents Oracle’s lobbying communication reports submitted for the months of November and December 2022. Also presented are the government contracts valued over $10,000 that Oracle signed during these months. Though Oracle did not register many communication reports over the combined months of November and December 2022. However, it appears that Oracle is focused on issues related to the procurement of government contracts.

Oracle Canada: November and December Lobbying Summaries

In November 2022, Oracle Canada logged one lobbying communication on the subject of “Budget” with a Deputy Director of Policy at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Finance Canada (FIN).

Oracle also logged one lobbying communication on the topic of “Government Procurement” with an Assistant Deputy Minister of the Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS). Oracle’s lobbying profile on the Registry of Lobbyist website notes broadly that the company “seeks to identify and secure federal procurement opportunities as it relates to innovating public service delivery.”   Through November and December 2022, Oracle signed seven government contracts.  These contracts were signed with  Global Affairs Canada ($38,356.74), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ($12,603.88), National Research Council Canada ($19,635.50), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada ($42,995.74), Sgoogleocial Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada ($42,995.74), Shared Services Canada ($24,119.90), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada ($217,480.97).  The work description for these contracts involves activities related to the optimization of the listed government department’s application development and delivery software.

Oracle November 2022 Lobbying Communications

Communications	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-11-04	Bud Sambasivam, Deputy Director of Policy Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Finance Canada (FIN)	Budget	Pierre Cyr (Consultant)

Oracle December 2022 Lobbying Communications

Communications	Lobbied	Subject	Responsible Officer
2022-12-01	Ross Ermel, Assistant Deputy Minister Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)	Government Procurement	Kevin Tetreault (Consultant)

Oracle Lobbying Update for October 2022

By: Helen Beny, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Oracle Canada lobbied the Chief Technology officer Shared Services Canada (SSC) Matt Davies regarding government procurement to seek opportunities related to innovating public service delivery. This meeting took place after the signing of four contracts this past September.

In September, Oracle Canada attained four government contracts with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, National Film Board, and Shared Services Canada. The listed contracts were related to utility software, storage, telecommunication consults and application software amassing a total cost of 1.4 million.

In the past 12 months, Oracle has lobbied the government on fourteen occasions.  

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-09-29	Matt Davies, Chief Technology Officer Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Government Procurement	Kevin Tetreault (Consultant)

October 2023 Update: Google

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In the month of October Google registered 12 communications reports on varying subject matters such as science and technology, economic development, broadcasting, media, economic development, and privacy and access to information. 

During this time, Google made headlines responding to regulators surrounding the Online News Act. There were many notes in the press of these back and forths as well as additional remarks about layoffs in news divisions.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Office
2023-10-11	Bram Abramson, Commissioner, Ontario RegionCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)	Science and Technology, Economic Development	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-13	Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural AffairsCanadian Heritage (PCH) Brian MacKay, Director of Policy & Stakeholder EngagementOffice of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-17	Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian HeritageHouse of Commons Jude Welch, Chief of StaffOffice of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Brian MacKay, Director of Policy & Stakeholder EngagementOffice of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural AffairsCanadian Heritage (PCH)	Media, Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-17	Jude Welch, Chief of StaffOffice of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Brian MacKay, Director of Policy & Stakeholder EngagementOffice of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian HeritageHouse of Commons Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural AffairsCanadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-18	Brian MacKay, Director of Policy & Stakeholder EngagementOffice of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Jude Welch, Chief of StaffOffice of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-19	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy MinisterInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-23	Colin Deacon, Senator for Nova ScotiaSenate of Canada Flordeliz (Gigi) Osler , Senator for ManitobaSenate of Canada	Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-24	Randy Hoback, Member of Parliament for Prince AlbertHouse of Commons	Economic Development	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-25	Kyle Seeback, Member of Parliament for Dufferin—CaledonHouse of Commons	Economic Development	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-26	Jaxson Khan, Policy AdvisorOffice of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-27	Brian MacKay, Director of Policy & Stakeholder EngagementOffice of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Media, Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia
2023-10-27	Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural AffairsCanadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia

September 2023 Update: Google

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In the month of September Google recorded 4 communications reports with Science and Technology, Media and Broadcasting. 

It is important mention that Google is still entralled in an antitrust lawsuit in the U.S., much like Amazon and Meta also receiving similar heat globally. It is now being reported by Canadian pundits that our officials should also be made aware of the scrutiny that Alphabet is going through. Google has also reached a tentative agreement with all U.S. states over alleged app store monopoly, as this is a tentative agreement the specifics have not been released.

The search engine giant has also announced a program where they will be indicating what content is sourced from generative AI within their services in regards to elections material. In conversation with AI, Google’s chatbot Bard is now no longer restricted to pulling information from the searh engine but can now inform answers through material in your Gmail inbox and drive storage.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-09-13	Mark Schaan , Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia
2023-09-22	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor, Office of the Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia
2023-09-27	Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs | Canadian Heritage (PCH)Brian MacKay, Director of Policy & Stakeholder Engagement, Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH)	BroadcastingMedia	Sabrina Geremia
2023-09-28	Brian Mackay, Director of Policy & Stakeholder Engagement, Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH)Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs | Canadian Heritage (PCH)Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage | House of CommonsJude Welch, Chief of Staff, Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH)Isabelle Mondou, Deputy Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH)	BroadcastingMedia	Sabrina Geremia

August 2023 Update: Google

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In August Google engaged in four communications with the Registry of Lobbyists on the topics of “media”. It is possible that the communications were surrounding the ongoing debates of formerly Bill C-18, and now The Online News Act, as there were several reports on the matter, specifically considering potential payments the companies would be required to pay under the act. It is reported that Google may need to pay Canadian News Outlets up to $172 million in annual payments. It has been decided that if these deals are not organized voluntarily that there will be mandatory bargaining overseen by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-08-16	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of PolicyOffice of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-08-14	Jude Welch, Chief of Staff, Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH) Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage | House of Commons Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs | Canadian Heritage (PCH) Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy, Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH) Brian MacKay, Deputy Director of Policy, Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-08-08	Brian MacKay, Deputy Director of Policy, Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-08-02	Sarah Hussaini, Director of Policy | Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Media	Sabrina Geremia

July 2023 Update: Google

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In July 2023, Google logged only one communication report with the Registry of Lobbyists on the topics of “science and technology”, “broadcasting”, and “media.” It is likely that some of Google’s lobbying this month is related to Bill C-18, the Online News Act. As stated in early blog post, since Bill C-18 received royal assent on June 22, 2023, Google has retaliated by vowing to remove its news links on its services which include Google News, Search, and Discover as well as Google News Showcase, Additionally, Google chose not to include Canada in the expansion of its AI chatbot, Bard. The chat bot is available in “40 languages across 230 countries”, but Canada is not included in this long list. As noted by Nida Zafar, Googles decision not to withhold Bard from Canadian consumers may related to the Bill C-18 drama. However, it may also be related to Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act which is concerned with AI and updated privacy regulation. Apart from Canada, the only other countries that Bard is not available in are Russia, China, North Korea, and Afghanistan.  

Google’s July Communication Reports

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-07-18	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Brian MacKay, Deputy Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Jude Welch, Chief of Staff | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Science and Technology, Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia

June 2023 Update: Google

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In June 2023, Google registered seven lobbying communications reports. All of Google’s seven lobbying meetings in June were about “Science and Technology”, “Broadcasting,” and “Media”. It is possible that Google’s lobbying efforts this month were related to Bill C-18 the Online News Act and Bill C-11the Online Streaming Act. In the March and April 2023 monthly update for Google, it was noted that the Google was running a news blocking experiment as a response to Bill C-18 which, if passed, would force platforms like Google and Facebook to compensate Canadian media outlets for linking articles shared on their platforms. On Wednesday June 7, Prime Minister Trudeau described Google’s threats to withdraw its news services from its platforms as a bullying tactic which would not work in Canada. Trudeau noted “We will continue to make sure that these incredibly profitable corporations contribute to strengthening our democracy, not weakening it.”  

When Bill C-18 passed, Google confirmed that it would remove news links on its services which include Google News, Search, and Discover as well as Google News Showcase,  a product it uses “to license news from over 150 local publishers.” When Bill C-18 received royal assent on June 22, Kent Walker, president of global affairs at Google and Alphabet noted “The unprecedented decision to put a price on links (a so-called ‘link tax’) creates uncertainty for our products and exposes us to uncapped financial liability simply for facilitating Canadians’ access to news from Canadian publishers.”  Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez stated his disappointment that Google would rather spend money to change their platform so that news may be blocked from Canadians rather than paying their fair share to news organizations. On June 29, Google released a blog post, the post pointed that Bill C-18 would unfairly force Google and Facebook to “to pay for simply showing links to news, something that everyone else does for free.”   The blog post highlights the ways which Google claims to have tried to improve Bill C-18. The blog post details that meetings with the Canadian government have not rendered workable results, but they hope that the Government will be able to outline a path forward.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-06-23	Brian MacKay, Deputy Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Science and Technology, Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-06-22	Brian MacKay, Deputy Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs Canadian Heritage (PCH) Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage House of Commons	Science and Technology, Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-06-21	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Brian MacKay, Deputy Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Science and Technology, Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-06-14	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Sarah Hussaini, Director of Policy Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Brian MacKay, Deputy Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Sean Mullin , Special Advisor, Economic Affairs Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Science and Technology, Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-06-13	Alicia Barin, Vice-Chairperson, Broadcasting Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)	Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia
2023-06-12	Brian Clow, Deputy Chief of Staff Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Sarah Hussaini, Director of Policy Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Brian MacKay, Deputy Director of Policy | Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Science and Technology, Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-06-11	Ashley Michnowski, Director of Communications | Office of the Minister , Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Science and Technology, Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-06-07	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Brian MacKay, Deputy Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Science and Technology, Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia

May 2023 Update: Google

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In March 2023, Google registered only one lobbying communication report on the topic of “science and technology”. It is not entirely clear what Google may have discussed with Nova Scotia Senator Colin Deacon on May 3^rd. Related to matters concerning “science and technology”, Google’s Registry of Lobbyist profile notes that they lobby about “innovation policy, specifically policies or programs related to the adoption of technology by small and medium-sized enterprises” and also technological developments related to artificial intelligence and technology policy, “specifically promoting the development of technological infrastructure through the Smart Cities Challenge.” It may be noted, that although this meeting was labelled as a discussion about science and technology, Senator Deacon has been highly critical of Google’s news blocking experiment that it conducted on 4% of Canadian Google users in February. Although it cannot be said with certainty what this meeting was about, it may be possible that Google sought to address Deacon’s concerns related to Google’s position and reactions to Bill C-18, the Online News Bill which would force platforms operating in Canada to “Google and Meta compensate news organizations for posting or linking to their work.”  

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-05-03	Colin Deacon, Senator for Nova Scotia Senate of Canada	Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia

Google Canada Corporation: April 2023 Lobbying Summary

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

In April 2023, Google continued to lobby about broadcasting and media, logging three communication reports on the topic with various government departments. On April 18, 2023, Senators decided to accept Bill C-11 “without insisting on further changes”, despite platforms’ insistence that the Bill would backfire on Canadian content creators. Despite Google’s efforts to frame Bill C-11 as a step backwards for Canadian content creators, Canadian Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez noted that Bill C-11 would not “change anything for individual users posting online, just the platforms” . Bill C-11 has “spent the most time in Senate in the history of Canada”.    

In regards to Bill C-18, Kent Walker, Googles President of Global Affairs, noted on April 20, 2023 that, although Google was no longer running it’s news blocking experiment, the decision to block news for Canadian Google users in Canada is not off the table should Bill C-18 pass. Walker noted,  “we have not reached a final decision as to what business actions we might have to take”, in regards to the potential passing of Bill-18. Although Google has often attempted to frame Bill C-18 as faulty for creating a problematic news environment which boosts misinformation, Google has also described Bill C-18 as an obstacle to their business model. As Google’s Vice President of News, Richard Gingras explains “if we must pay publishers simply for linking to their sites… it would be reasonable for us, or any business, to reconsider why we would continue to do so.” Google maintains that the link tax associated with Bill C-18 would create an online  news environment that incentivizes “clickbait content over high-quality local journalism”.   

The following chart offers a look at the issues that Google lobbied about in April 2023.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-04-04	Jean-Denis Garon, Member of Parliament for Mirabel House of Commons	Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia
2023-04-17	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia
2023-04-18	Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-04-19	Jim Quinn, Senator for New Brunswick Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-04-24	René Cormier, Senator for New Brunswick Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-04-25	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia

Google Canada Corporation: March 2023 Lobbying Summary

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

The Tech Lobby’s previous monthly update on Google’s January and February 2023 lobbying activities stated that Google was interested in influencing the direction of Bill C-18, the Online News Bill. In March 2023, Google continued to lobby about “broadcasting and media”,  submitting nine communications reports on the topic with the registry of lobbyist website. As previously noted, Google’s decision to remove its news function from Canada as a response to the Bill C-18 news link tax prompted parliament to question top Google executives.

In March, it was revealed that Google was conducting an experiment, temporarily removing news from its services in Canada for some Canadian users. On March 10, 2023, Google released a blog post on public policy titled  “An open letter to Canadians”.  The post noted that Google wanted Canadians to “understand what we’re doing and why, and to know that we remain committed to working with the government on reasonable and balanced solutions to fix Bill C-18”. Framing Bill C-18 as unworkable legislation, Google’s letter served to reassure Canadians that the news blocking experiment would affect less than 4% of Canadian users and was a “responsible” experiment. The blog post points to the ways Google supports Canadian journalism through initiatives like Google News Showcase  which involves agreements that “support 150+ Canadian publications, paying them for curated content and to share articles that would otherwise be behind publisher paywalls”, and Google News Initiative  which “provides tools, training, and funding to help support Canadian news organizations, independent journalists and students to innovate and adapt”.  Ultimately, the blog post claims that “Bill C-18 puts a price on free links”, in this regard, Google frames Bill C-18, which aims to boost Canadian journalism, as a Bill that will have an adverse effect on Google users who rely on the system for consuming news.

In March, in response to Google’s experiment, the Heritage Committee called Google executives to a commons committee meeting. The committee called on Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai, Kent Walker, Google’s President of Legal Affairs, and Richard Gingras, Vice-President of News. However, Google sent only Sabrina Geremia, Canada’s Public Policy Manager, to answer to the committee members questions. The Committee also asked for internal communications related to Google’s decision to block the news. As reported by Marie Woolf of the Globe and Mail, committee member Anthony Housefather, warned Google that he would refer the company “to the House of Commons for failing to send it internal communication and refusing its summons for its chief executive officer, Sundar Pichai” .

During the Monday March 10 committee meeting, Google indicated that it would end its experiment by March 16. Although the Google blog claimed that they were carrying out their news blocking experiment in the most responsible way, Conservative MP Kavin Waugh noted that “1.2 million Canadians were shut out, four per cent of the population that use Google. And you never told people you’re blocking them out. You just arbitrarily did it.” The committee noted their disappointment that  “clear questions” were not being answered by Google representative Geremia and also for the fact that Google failed to turnover the internal documents that the committee requested which involved: “any and all internal or external communication, including but not limited to emails, text or other forms of messages related to actions, plans to take or options considered, in relation to Canada’s Bill C-18, including but not limited to those in relation to the testing and blocking of news sites in Canada.”  

Google has also made their position clear on Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Bill. On March 8, 2023, in another blog post “An Update to our Canadian Creators and Users on Bill C-11”, Google shared its concern in the passing of Bill C-11 through the Senate which also received royal assent. Google, which owns YouTube, took issue with the government’s decision to include user generated content (UGC) as regulated content under Bill C-11. Google has asked the Canadian Government not to “regulate open platforms like broadcasters, and put specific language in the Bill to exclude UGC from CRTC regulation”. 

The following chart presents Google’s communication reports for March, 2023, which were notably all on the topic of broadcasting and media.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-03-01	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Johanna Robinson, Deputy Director of Communications Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Katie Telford, Chief of Staff Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-03-04	Anthony Housefather, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement House of Commons	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-03-09	Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Brian MacKay, Senior Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Jude Welch, Chief of Staff | Office of the Minister , Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-03-11	Ashley Michnowski , Director of Communications | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Pablo Rodriguez, Minister of Canadian Heritage House of Commons Laura Scaffidi, Press Secretary and Communications Advisor | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-03-13	Anthony Housefather, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement House of Commons	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-03-13	Brian Clow, Deputy Chief of Staff Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-03-17	Anthony Housefather, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement House of Commons	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-03-23	Julie Miville-Dechêne, Senator for Québec Senate of Canada Paula Simons, Senator for Alberta Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-03-27	Jean-Denis Garon, Member of Parliament for Mirabel House of Commons	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia

Google Canada Corporation: February 2023 Lobbying Summary

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Google ramped up its lobbying communications in February 2023. In February, Google held eleven meetings with various members of Canadian Government. Ten of these meetings were on the topics of “Broadcasting and Intellectual Property”. Undoubtedly, much of Google’s lobbying efforts remain focussed on Bill C-18 which is now under review in the Senate. Since publishing a blog post titled “It’s Time to Fix Bill C-18″ in November, 2022, Google has communicated several concerns with Bill C-18. Google worries the bill would lead to a link tax, forcing them to pay news organizations for links to articles regardless of their quality. Additionally, Google fears that the bill would subsidize “non-authoritative or biased news sources”. Google also worries that further amendments to Bill C-18 would mean that the company would have to  extend payments to more types of media organizations like community radio stations.

On February 22 it was first reported by the Canadian Press, that Google would be “blocking some Canadian users from viewing news content” as a test of a potential response to Bill C-18 should the Bill be passed in the Senate. Google confirmed that the test would affect approximately 4% of Canadian Google users – which would affect roughly one million Canadians  – and run for a period of five weeks. During the news blocking experiment, Canadians would still be able to access news sites by typing web addresses directly into their web browsers. However, searching for news through a typical Google search would no longer be a function of Google Search for effected users.  The change applies to Google’s search engine as well as the Discover feature on Android devices, which also carries news and sports stories.  

Google spokesperson Shay Purdy defended Google’s news blocking experiment noting “We’ve been fully transparent about our concern that C-18 is overly broad and, if unchanged, could impact products Canadians use and rely on every day. We remain committed to supporting a sustainable future for news in Canada and offering solutions that fix Bill C-18”.  Google has attempted to frame their Canadian news search experiment as one among the many “thousands of tests” that the company runs each year to “asses any potential changes to Search”.

It should be noted that although Google claimed only 4% of Canadians would be affected by their experiment, there has been some speculation that the experiment has either affected more than 4% of Canadians or is disproportionately targeting journalists. President of News Media Canada, Paul Deegan, notes  “we were somewhat surprised by the company’s statement that this only affected 4% of users, given the number of journalist who have come forward to say they noticed it”.  

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has called Google’s experiment a “terrible mistake” and expressed his disappointment that Google “decided that they’d rather prevent Canadians from accessing news than actually paying journalist for the work they do”. As response to Google’s news blocking experiment, the federal government has discussed pulling its own advertising from Google. Additionally, MPs of the Commons heritage committee, chaired by Hedy Fry,  have requested a special meeting with Google executives to understand and question Google’s “damaging and reckless behaviour”. Liberal MP Anthony Housefather expressed his desire for Google chief executive Sundar Pichai to be called to testify and “explain to parliamentarians and Canadians why they have taken the action to test blocking of news sites in Canada”. 

Heritage Minister Rodriguez condemned Google for using “scare tactics” to prevent the bill’s passage through the Senate. The Heritage Committee passed Liberal MP Chris Bittle’s motion which called for four of Google’s top executives to appear before the Parliamentary committee. The motion also requires Google to hand over all copies of “documents and messages related to its decision” to run the news blocking experiment. The Committee also requested a comprehensive list of Canadian news organizations being targeted by the company for blocking. Bittle’s motion calls on the following Google executives to appear before the Heritage Committee: Kent Walker, Google’s President of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer; Richard Gingras, Vice President of News at Google; Sabrina Geremia, Google’s Country Manager for Canada; and Sundar Pichai, Google’s CEO. Sabrina Geremia is the responsible officer for all communication reports filed by Google on the Registry of Lobbyist website between January and February 2023. She was also the author of the November Google blog post “It’s Time to Fix Bill C-18″. With the passing of Bittle’s motion, these Google executives would be required to appear before the Heritage Committee before March 6.

To further contextualize Google’s news blocking experiment as a response to Bill C-18, in October 2022, Meta also warned that it would block the sharing of news content in Canada on its platform as a response to Bill C-18. It should also be noted that Bill C-18 is based on Australian legislation which also received similar responses from Google and Meta. When Australia introduced the Australian Online News Act, Google “threatened to close its Australian search engine, while Facebook cut all third-party content from Australian accounts for more than a week.” Although Google and Meta tech struck deals with Australian media companies Google has also previously threatened to withhold its services within countries considering passing media legislation.

Spokeswoman Laura Scaffidi of Heritage Canada noted that such scare tactics did not work in Australia and will not work in Canada either because “Canadians won’t be intimidated.” Heritage Canada maintains that “At the end of the day, all we’re asking the tech giants to do is compensate journalists when they use their work”   On February 1, 2023, Google LLC signed a contract with Invest in Canada worth $113,000 for work related to advertising services.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-02-13	Jude Welch, Chief of Staff Office of the Minister , Canadian Heritage (PCH)   Brian  MacKay, Senior Policy Advisor Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)   Ron Ahluwalia, Director of Policy Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Intellectual Property	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-13	Rachael Thomas, Member of Parliament for Lethbridge House of Commons Andrew Scheer, Member of Parliament for Regina—Qu’Appelle House of Commons	Broadcasting,  Intellectual Property	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-14	Fabian Manning, Senator for Newfoundland & Labrador Senate of Canada	Broadcasting,  Intellectual Property	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-14	Scott Tannas, Senator for Alberta Senate of Canada	Broadcasting,  Intellectual Property	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-14	Tony Loffreda, Senator for Québec Senate of Canada	Intellectual Property,  Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-15	Peter M. Harder, Senator for Ontario Senate of Canada Brian Laghi, Director of Parliamentary Affairs Office of the Government Representative, Senate of Canada	Intellectual Property,  Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-15	Roy Rempel, Director of Policy Office of the Leader of the Opposition, Senate of Canada	Broadcasting,  Intellectual Property	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-15	Donna Dasko, Senator for Ontario Senate of Canada	Intellectual Property,  Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-21	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information,  Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-23	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Intellectual Property,  Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia
2023-02-25	Anthony Housefather, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement House of Commons	Intellectual Property,  Broadcasting

January2023 Update: Google

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

This monthly lobbying report follows Google’s lobbying activities through the months of January 2023. The charts included in this blog post indicate that much of Google’s lobbying focus during this period relates to Bill C-18, the Online News Act which would force major tech platforms like Google and Meta to negotiate revenue sharing deals with Canadian media corporations for news links shared on their platforms. This blog post draws on news articles published during this lobbying period to contextualize Googles lobbying efforts.

Google Canada Corporation: January 2023 Lobbying Summary

While January 2023 was a quiet month for lobbying for most major tech companies, Google remained active reporting four meetings with various government officials. All four meetings were on the topic “Broadcasting and media”.  More specifically, Google notes that its lobbying activities involve, “Communicating with the Government of Canada about Bill C-18 (An Act Respecting Online Communications Platforms), more specifically about the regulation of online content”. As noted in an earlier blog post, Bill C-18 would effectively force tech companies hosting digital platforms, like Google and Meta, to negotiate financial compensation with Canadian news organizations for news links shared on its digital platforms. Google’s four January meetings with government officials about broadcasting and media took place mere weeks after Bill C-18 passed in the House of Commons on December 14, 2023 . Bill C-18 is now headed for review in the Senate.

Bill C-18 is designed for major platforms like Google to “compensate journalism publications for reposting their content”.  As noted by Canadian journalist Roger Belgrave, newspaper revenues have been depleted by platforms like Google and Facebook which often circulate news articles done by journalists on their platforms. Belgrave notes that, “big tech corporations have reportedly captured well north of 70 per cent of all digital ad revenue in Canada.” Tech platform’s grip on Canadian journalism has forced closure of many newspapers. According to Heritage Canada, “more than 450 news outlets have closed since 2008, with more than 60 of those closures coming in the last two years”. According to the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC), financial strain related to the COVID-19 pandemic caused many of Canada’s ethnic newspapers either stopped printing or shifted to digital modes of distribution eliminating print media. Ethnic newspapers hope that Bill C-18 will “give ethnic press the bargaining power with online platforms like Google to attract much needed advertising dollars.”  According to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Bill C-18 would reportedly funnel $150 million per year into the news industry. Although some are skeptical that major broadcasting corporations like “the CBC, Bell, Shaw, and Rogers” would get the lions share of this funding.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-01-19	Julie Miville-Dechêne, Senator for Québec Senate of Canada Paula Simons, Senator for Alberta Senate of Canada	Media, Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia
2023-01-19	Thomas Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-01-24	Peter Harder, Senator for Ontario Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2023-01-25	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor, Policy and Cabinet Affairs Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia

Google Canada Corporation: December 2022 Lobbying Summary

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Google lobbyists were not quite as active in December with three communications logs. Two were on the topic of “Broadcasting,” and “Media”—one with the Heritage Minister’s Chief of Staff and the Director of Communications of Canadian Heritage, and the other with a Policy Advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office. In December, Google also logged one communication with a policy advisor of the Minister, Environment and Climate Change Canada on the topics of “Environment,” and “Science and Technology.”

On December 14, 2022, Bill C-18 passed in the House of Commons and was headed for the Senate. The Bill would obligate Google and Facebook parent company Meta to share revenues with news publishers by forcing the companies to reach commercial deals.  

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matter	Responsible Officer
2022-12-01	Eamonn McGuinty, Senior Policy Advisor Office of the Minister, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)	Environment, Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia
2022-12-13	Jude Welch, Chief of Staff Office of the Minister , Canadian Heritage (PCH) Ashley  Michnowski, Director of Communications Office of the Minister , Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia
2022-12-15	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor, Policy and Cabinet Affairs Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia

November 2022 Update: Google

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Student (McMaster University)

Google spent November 2022 lobbying about Bill C-11, the online streaming bill, and Bill C-18, the online news bill. Bill C-11 would give the Canadian Government powers to regulate digital streaming platforms and would have these platforms promote Canadian content online. Bill C-18 would effectively force tech companies hosting digital platforms, like Google and Meta, to negotiate financial compensation with news organizations for news links shared on digital platforms. This blog post looks at Googles lobbying activity through the month of November 2022 and reveals the lobbying communications reports that Google logged for the month with the Registry of Lobbyist website.

During the month of November 2022, Google Canada’s Managing Director Sabrina Geremia registered communications with Policy Directors and Advisors, Members of Parliament, and Members of the Senate for a total of six registered lobbying communications on the topic of “Media,” “Justice and Law Enforcement,” and “Broadcasting”. Geremia reported two other lobbying communications, one regarding “Science and Technology” with a Senator of Quebec, and the other about “Science and Technology,” and “Privacy and Access to Information” with a Policy Advisor atInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).

Google was active in blogging and lobbying on C-11 in November. In early October, YouTube (owned by Google), had published a blog post about Bill C-11 titled “Canada: Keep YouTube Yours,” setting out its position on the bill.  The blog argued that Bill C-11 threatens the success of Canadian content creators because it aims to alter their audience, making it more difficult for Canadian creators to connect with audiences abroad. The YouTube blog notes, “over 90% of watch time on Canadian channels comes from outside Canada.”  YouTube also warns about a future of state-controlled media claiming “Put into practice [Bill C-11], this means that when viewers come to the YouTube homepage, they’re served content that a Canadian Government regulator has prioritized, rather than content they are interested in.”

 Google’s lobbying profile on the Registry of Lobbyist website notes that Google also actively lobbied on Bill C-11 about the regulation of online content. In early December, a Senate committee reported an amendment on Section 4.2 of Bill C-11 which may resolve some of Google’s concerns.  The amendment would remove a revenue test that would have included revenue-generating user generated content as part of what the CRTC could regulate as a ‘program’ under the bill. The amendment meant that Bill C-11 would dramatically narrow the range of “amateur” user generated content that the bill could apply to on streaming platforms.

Google’s lobbying profile also notes that it actively lobbies about the regulation of online content under Bill C-18. Bill C-18 would obligate Google and Facebook parent company Meta to share revenues with news publishers by forcing the companies to reach commercial deals.  On November 14, 2022, Google posted on its Public Policy blog that “It’s time to fix Bill C-18”. The blog post claimed that Bill C-18 “included measures… neither in the interests of Canadians, nor an effective response to the challenges facing the evolving news ecosystem.” The blog post raises concerns about negative effects of Bill C-18 for the Canadian public such as the “proliferation of misinformation” and supporting “large players” rather than local journalism as the Bill intends. The blog post also notes that Bill C-18 is “unworkable for platforms and unreasonable from a business standpoint”.  Such complaints suggest the specific concerns that Google Canada is raising in lobbying meetings with government officials.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-11-03	Reem Zaia, Director of Policy & Legal Affairs | Office of the Minister | Public Safety Canada (PS)	Media, Justice and Law Enforcement, Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-11-03	-Matthew Gray, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH) -Julie Harb , Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH) -Ashley Michnowski, Director of Communications | Office of the Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Media, Justice and Law Enforcement, Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-11-09	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology, Privacy and Access to Information	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-11-11	Leo Housakos, Senator for Québec | Senate of Canada	Science and Technology	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-11-15	Melissa Lantsman, Member of Parliament for Thornhill | House of Commons	Media, Justice and Law Enforcement, Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-11-15	Rachael Thomas, Member of Parliament for Lethbridge | House of Commons – Marilyn Gladu, Member of Parliament for Sarnia—Lambton | House of Commons – Martin Shields, Member of Parliament for Bow River | House of Commons	Media, Justice and Law Enforcement, Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-11-15	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) – Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs | Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Media, Justice and Law Enforcement, Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-11-16	Roy Rempel, Senior Policy Advisor | Office of the Leader of the Opposition | Senate of Canada	Media, Justice and Law Enforcement, Broadcasting	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director

October 2022 Update for Google

By: Helen Beny, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

As Bill C-18, the Online News Act, and Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, move through the house and senate, tech companies have ramped up their lobbying. Facebook, Google, Amazon, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle and Netflix registered 34 registered lobbying communications in October (Figure 1).  Meta (Facebook Canada Ltd.) and Alphabet (Google) focussed on C-18 and C-11.

Tech companies have registered 353 lobbying communications so far in 2022. According to our tech lobbying timeline, platforms such as Google and Amazon have increased their lobbying efforts in Canada and overall, this month bringing annual tech lobbying to an all-time annual high.

Google Canada Corporation: October 2022

In the past month, Google Canada’s Managing Director Sabrina Geremia registered communications with Members of Parliament, Policy Advisors to the Prime Minister, Canadian Heritage Office and Members of the Senate, accounting for nine registered lobbying communications to discuss “broadcasting and media”.  

On October 14^th, Colin McKay, head of Public Policy and Government Relations for Google Canada, appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (CHPC) as a witness to share their position on Bill C-18. McKay argues that the bill will not meet the government’s intended objective to support Canada’s local journalism industry. Instead, Google has argued that the Bill C-18 will lead to an increase in misinformation because it will reduce the access to legitimate news sources, and it could also lead to a link-tax. (The Canadian Heritage Committee denies this, saying they will not assign a “value” for clicks or links. )

To support their lobbying efforts, Google has commissioned Abacus Data to conduct a national public opinion survey to explore perceptions and views around Bill C-18. Ottawa criticized Google for their survey and stated that they are attempting to avoid accountability.   

Google Canada Corporation: October 2022

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-10-04	Martin Champoux, Member of Parliament for Drummond House of Commons	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-10-04	Fritz-Lionel Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Ben Chin, Senior Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Brian Clow, Deputy Chief of Staff Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Oz Jungic, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-10-13	Thomas Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-10-19	Scott Tannas, Senator for Alberta Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-10-19	Matthew Gray, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Thomas Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-10-19	Peter Julian, Member of Parliament for New Westminster—Burnaby House of Commons Jagmeet Singh, Member of Parliament for Burnaby South House of Commons	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-10-20	Leo Housakos, Senator for Québec Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-10-20	Julie Miville-Dechêne, Senator for Québec Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-10-24	Fritz-Lionel Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Justice and Law Enforcement, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director

(Office of the Lobbying Commissioner 2022)

July and September 2022 Update for Google

By: Helen Beny, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

As of July, Google has lobbied the government thirteen times regarding Media and Broadcasting, and they have met with various policy officers and members of Parliament. The uptick in lobbying efforts can be linked to Google’s position on Bill C-11, and in the past week they have launched several campaigns against the bill. Google (Alphabet) and owner of Youtube argues that it will impact their platform’s feeds. Other platforms and organizations such as Meta, movie studios (The Motion Picture Association), and Netflix have also outlined that Bill C-11 would give the broadcast regulator too much power over what content is presented on platforms in Canada. Bill C-11 has passed the House of Commons and is now in the Senate pending approval.  

Google is also lobbying against Bill C-18 because it will require Google to share their revenue with news publishers. In Australia, February 25, 2022, a similar bill was also passed titled the  News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code to protect their local news industry. 

Google’s president of Global Affairs Kent Walker traveled to Ottawa on October 4^th to lobby against both Bill C-11 and C-18.  Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez finds that Google is attempting to intimidate Canadians with their campaign.  

However, not all of Google’s lobbying strategies are recorded in Canada’s registry. Most recently, the Globe and Mail has reported that Chris Bittle, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Heritage Minister, has asked the Lobbying Commissioner to investigate the Digital First group for failing to disclose to the committee that they received a $100,000 fund from YouTube and TikTok. This is concerning because Mr. Benzie the founder of Digital First Canada group is huge critic of Bill C-11. In addition, Google has also offered to fund a lobbyist to represent independent news publishers to voice their concerns around the Online News Act. Thus far, the coalition of small publishers consists of more than 100 independent news outlets.  

Google Canada Corporation Lobbying Summary (July – September 2022)

Communication Date	DPOH, Position Title | Government Institution	Subject Matters	Lobbyist
2022-09-23	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-09-16	Mike Morrice, Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre House of Commons	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-09-13	Bernadette Clement, Senator for Ontario Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-09-13	Marty Klyne, Senator for Saskatchewan Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-09-08	Thomas Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Affairs Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-09-07	Donna Dasko, Senator for Ontario Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-09-01	Ian Foucher, Chief of Staff | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology, Broadcasting, Privacy and Access to Information, Economic Development, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-08-30	Karen Sorensen, Senator for Alberta Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-08-23	Nadia Kadri, Director of Policy | Office of the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Broadcasting, Taxation and Finance, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-08-08	Paula Simons, Senator for Alberta Senate of Canada	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-07-22	Tyler Meredith, Director of Economic Strategy and Planning | Office of the Minister, Finance Canada (FIN)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-07-18	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-07-15	Samir Kassam, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister of International Trade, Global Affairs Canada (GAC)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-07-15	Jaxson Khan , Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Peter Opdam , Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-07-12	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-07-11	Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre House of Commons	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director
2022-07-06	Philip Lawrence, Member of Parliament for Northumberland—Peterborough South House of Commons	Broadcasting, Media	Josie Sabatino, Consultant
2022-07-05	Ron Ahluwalia , Director of Policy | Office of the Minister , Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting, Media	Sabrina Geremia, Managing Director

(Office of the Commissioner 2022)

October 2023 Update: Amazon

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

During October, Amazon filed 13 communications reports ranging from the subject matters of industry, science and technology, small business, government procurement, national security, economic development, taxation and finance, and telecommunications.

During the month, Amazon made the news for developments in their internal procedures. One of the major announcements the company made was their use of robots to aid employees in fulfillment centers. In addition to this they also implemented new delivery systems that utilized grab n’ go procedures for no contact shopping. Lastly, the company has also rolled out new passkey systems that shifted the ways individuals could log in to their accounts.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-10-12	Arun Alexander, Deputy Head of Mission to the Embassy of Canada to the United States of AmericaGlobal Affairs Canada (GAC)	Industry	Jasmin Begagic
2023-10-16	Scott Jones, PresidentShared Services Canada (SSC)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2023-10-17	Rechie Valdez, Minister of Small BusinessInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Small Business	Jasmin Begagic
2023-10-25	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy MinisterOffice of the Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Andrea Johnston, Assistant Deputy MinisterInnovation Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Eric Dagenais, Senior Assistant Deputy MinisterAssistant Deputy Minister’s Office, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Industry	Eric Gales
2023-10-25	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy MinisterOffice of the Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Government Procurement,  Science and Technology	ConsultantLobbyist: DAVID ANGUS, The Capital Hill Group Inc.
2023-10-25	Eric Dagenais, Senior Assistant Deputy MinisterInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy MinisterInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Andrea Johnston, Assistant Deputy MinisterInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Industry	Jasmin Begagic
2023-10-26	Dane Lloyd, Member of ParliamentHouse of Commons	Government Procurement,  National Security/Security,  Economic Development,  Telecommunications	ConsultantLobbyist: Mark Johnson, PAA Advisory | Conseils
2023-10-26	Dane Lloyd, Member of ParliamentSturgeon River – Parkland, House of Commons	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-10-26	Sébastien Lemire, Member of ParliamentHouse of Commons	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2023-10-26	Sébastien Lemire, Member of ParliamentHouse of Commons	Industry	Jasmin Begagic
2023-10-27	Trevor McGowan, Associate Assistant Deputy MinisterTax Policy, Finance Canada (FIN)	Taxation and Finance	Jasmin Begagic
2023-10-31	James Bezan, Member of ParliamentHouse of Commons	Science and Technology,  Industry,  National Security/Security,  Defence	ConsultantLobbyist: GORAN SAMUEL PESIC, SAMUEL ASSOCIATES
2023-10-31	James Bezan, Member of ParliamentSelkirk—Interlake—Eastman, House of Commons	Defence	Eric Gales

September 2023 Update: Amazon

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In the month of September Amazon recorded six communications reports with the subject matter of Industry, Arts and Culture and Small Business. 

Within Canada, the company has announced a recent ad-based revenue stream change to their streaming service Prime Video, this would force ads on users without an upgraded subscription service. Amazon has also announced an expansion of their Alexa service to include generative AI.

While there were a number of communications with the Canadian government it is also important to note the regulatory problems the company is facing in the US. Across the border Amazon has received a lawsuit from the FTC with an Anti-trust trial taking focus on the ecommerce giant maintaining alleged monopoly power.

Additionally, Amazon has extended its satellite network to a variety of telecom giants to be able to use for their own business matters.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-09-08	Andy Fillmore, Member of Parliament | House of Commons	Industry	Eric Gales
2023-09-13	Corinne Havard, Senior Policy Advisor | National Defence (DND)	Industry	Eric Gales
2023-09-19	Julie Dabrusin, Member of Parliament | House of Commons	Arts and Culture	Jasmin Begagic
2023-09-27	Kyle Seeback, Member of Parliament | House of Commons	Industry	Jasmin Begagic
2023-09-28	Zachary Nixon, Director of Operations | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)Angad Dhillon, Chief of Staff, Minister of Small Business | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)Kendra Wilcox, Director of Policy and Stakeholder Relations | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Small Business	Jasmin Begagic
2023-09-28	Greg Fergus, Member of Parliament | House of CommonsMatthew Jones, Assistant Deputy Minister, Healthy Environments Consumer Safety Branch | Health Canada (HC)	Industry	Jasmin Begagic

August 2023 Update: Amazon

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

Throughout August Amazon recorded 11 communications with the Registry of Lobbyists on the topics “Research and Development”, “Science and Technology”, “Economic Development”, “Industry”, “Taxation and Finance”, “National Security/Security”, “Government Procurement”, and “Research and Development”. In August Amazon also launched a new Telehealth service and announced a new robotic fulfillment center opening in Southern-Ontario.

There were also reports of new Amazon fees that targeted sellers who intended to ship goods themselves instead of through Amazon fulfillment services. On the tail end of this with recent news, this September, of anti-trust, and monopoly accusations by the Federal Trade Agreement in the United States of America, there is no doubt that there will be further discussions surrounding this topic in the coming months.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matter	Responsible Officer
2023-08-28	Darren Hall, Policy Advisor, Opposition Leader’s Office | House of Commons David Murray, Director of Policy, Opposition Leader’s Office | House of Commons	Industry	Jasmin Begagic
2023-08-23	Caroline Séguin, Director of Strategic Initiatives | Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Tania Belisle-Leclerc, Director of Policy | Global Affairs Canada (GAC)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2023-08-23	Tania Belisle – Leclerc, Director of Policy, Minister’s Office | Global Affairs Canada (GAC) Caroline Séguin, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Minister’s Office | Global Affairs Canada (GAC)	Science and TechnologyNational Security/SecurityGovernment ProcurementResearch and Development	Mark Johnson, PAA Advisory | Conseils
2023-08-15	Jason Lenz, Analyst/Economist | Finance Canada (FIN)	Taxation and Finance	Jasmin Begagic
2023-08-15	Trevor McGowan, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister | Finance Canada (FIN)	Taxation and Finance	Jasmin Begagic
2023-08-14	Nipun Vats, Associate Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Research and Development	Eric Gales
2023-08-14	Nipun Vats, Associate Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Fernando Minna, The Capital Hill Group
2023-08-10	Jaxson Khan, Senior Policy Advisor | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Research and Development	Eric Gales
2023-08-09	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2023-08-09	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Mary Gregory, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2023-08-08	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Research and DevelopmentScience and TechnologyEconomic DevelopmentIndustry	Mark Johnson, PAA Advisory | Conseils

July 2023 Update: Amazon

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

This blog post gives an update on Amazon’s lobbying activities for the month of July 2023. Using data from Amazon’s Registry of Lobbyists profile and news articles, the lobbying activities of Amazon Web Services Canada (AWS) and Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services, ULC (ACFS) will be documented below. Amazon Corporate LLC did not submit any lobbying communication reports with the Registry of Lobbyist for the month of July.

Amazon Web Services Canada

In July 2023, Amazon Web Services (AWS) logged nine lobbying communication reports with the Registry of Lobbyists. Five of those meetings were about “science and technology”, and five were related to “government procurement.” This month, AWS also lobbied about “economic development” on two occasions. AWS’s profile with the Registry of Lobbyists notes that the company is interested in working “with government to promote and support Canada’s digital economy, including ensuring the availability of a high-skilled tech workforce.” Lobbying meetings about “science and technology” and economic development” may be related to AWS’s aim to support Canada’s digital economy and tech workforce. On July 10, 2023, announced its partnership with Momentum, a “community organization committed to providing relevant skills-based training programs to help build an inclusive local economy” to bring a free tech training course to Calgary. The training course teaches fiber optic fusion splicing. As noted by Global newswire, Fibre optic cable workers posses skills that are “increasingly needed to build out the world’s data and communication networks including 5G and data centers.”  This training course is part of Amazon’s commitment to their 2020 pledge to train 29 million people around the world in tech and cloud computing by 2025. The fibre optic course is the “second major skills training initiative AWS is bringing to Calgary after announcing a $4.3 billion investment over the next 15 years with the AWS Canada West Region (Calgary) to open late 2023/early 2024.”

AWS also lobbied about government procurement this July. As noted in previous blog posts, AWS frequently seeks “government contracts with multiple government departments and institutions with regards to Amazon Cloud based solutions and related support services.”  In 2023, AWS has signed 39 government contracts with various government departments valued over $10,000.

Amazon Web Services’ July Communication Reports

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-07-05	Michelle Rempel Garner, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2023-07-05	Michelle Rempel Garner, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Government Procurement, Science and Technology	David Angus (Consultant)
2023-07-14	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister | Office of the Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Mary Gregory, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2023-07-14	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister | Office of the Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Government Procurement	Fernando Minna (Consultant)
2023-07-14	Ian Foucher, Chief of Staff | Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Jaxson Khan, Senior Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2023-07-14	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister | Office of the Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2023-07-14	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister | Office of the Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Government Procurement	Fernando Minna (Consultant)
2023-07-14	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister | Office of the Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Government Procurement, Science and Technology	David Angus (Consultant)
2023-07-17	Costas Theophilos, Director General, Partnerships and Strategic Services Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Government Procurement, Science and Technology	David Angus (Consultant)

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services, ULC

In July 2023, Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services (ACFS) registered only 2 communications reports with the Registry of Lobbyists. This month ACFS lobbied about “economic development” and “taxation and finance.” It is difficult to get a sense of what specifically ACFS may have been lobbying about in these meetings. As noted in previous monthly updates for ACFS, their Registry of Lobbyist profile does not give a strong indication about the policies or programs they may be actively lobbying government departments about. Like AWS, ACFS notes that they work with government to  “promote Canada’s digital economy, including ensuring the availability of a high-skilled tech workforce”, and also to “facilitate the process of selling goods and services online, and delivering them to consumers.”

It is possible that ACFS’s lobbying about taxation and finance is related to Canada’s refusal to approve the Organization of Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OCED) extension of a ban against a global digital services tax aimed at big tech corporations. While 130 nations agreed to extend the ban, Canada aims to implement a new digital service tax that was conceived two years ago. The new digital services tax would “impose a 3-per-cent levy on Canadian revenue from digital services exceeding $20-million that is earned by companies with at least $1.1-billion in global revenue.”  Canada’s refusal to extend the OCED ban can be explained by Canada’s desire to implement a new digital services tax. Currently, Canada does not have a digital services tax in operation. Many other countries in the OCED have a preexisting digital services tax in operation while the OCED ban is extended. It is possible that ACFS’s lobbying related to taxation and finance may be related to Canada’s plan to implement its new digital services act.

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services July Communication Reports

Date	Lobbied		Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-07-10	Jasraj Singh Hallan, Member of Parliament House of Commons		Economic Development	Jasmin Begagic
2023-07-13	Anthony Laporte, Director | Strategy and Outreach, Finance Canada (FIN)		Taxation and Finance	Jasmin Begagic

June 2023 Update: Amazon

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Amazon Web Services

In June 2023, Amazon Web Services (AWS) logged four communication reports with the Registry of Lobbyists. Three of these meetings were about “industry” while the other was about “economic development”. AWS is a subsidiary or Amazon that provides on-demand cloud computing platforms and APIs to individual consumers, corporations, and governments on a pay as you go basis. As noted in previous Amazon monthly updates, AWS focuses on securing government contracts for its cloud services. Additionally, AWS seeks to “influence policy direction related to cloud based services”. On June 28, 2023, Adam Selipsky, CEO of Amazon Web Services, noted that AWS expects to invest $21 billion in Canada by 2037.

In June 2023, AWS signed two government contracts valued over $10,000. On June 13, AWS signed a contract valued at $452,000.00  with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for work related to license and maintenance fees for client software. On June 6, AWS signed a contract valued at $57,487.50  with Parks Canada for work related to information technology managed services.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-06-29	Raquel Dancho, Member of Parliament | Kildonan—St. Paul, Manitoba, House of Commons	Industry	Eric Gales
2023-06-28	Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)   François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Sciences and Economic Development | Minister’s Office, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)   Jaxson Khan, Senior Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2023-06-15	Costas Theophilos, Director General, Partnerships and Strategic Services Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Government Procurement, Science and Technology	David Angus (Consultant)
2023-06-12	Matt Davies, Chief Technology Officer Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Government Procurement, Science and Technology	David Angus (Consultant)
2023-06-08	Benoit Long, Special Advisor | Office of the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council & Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, Privy Council Office (PCO)	Government Procurement	Fernando Minna (Consultant)
2023-06-07	Samir Chhabra, Director General | Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Industry	Eric Gales
2023-06-06	Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Eric Gales
2023-06-06	Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Science and Technology, Economic Development, Industry, Research and Development	Skye Scruton (Consultant)
2023-06-05	Tony Van Bynen, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Science and Technology, Industry, Research and Development, Economic Development	Naresh Raghubeer (Consultant)

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services, ULC

In June 2023, Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services (ACFS) logged four lobbying communication reports with the Registry of Lobbyists. Two meetings were about “industry” while the others were about “environment” and “economic development”. As noted in previous ACFS monthly updates, it is difficult to get a sense of what ACFS may be lobbying about in their meetings with government officials because ACFS’s Registry of Lobbyists profile does not offer much detail about the topics they lobby about. Although ACFS lobbies about 21 different subject matters, the company only lists two points under subject matter details; AFS notes that the company works with government to “facilitate the process of selling goods and services online, and delivering them to consumers”, and also “to promote and support Canada’s digital economy, including ensuring the availability of a high-skilled tech workforce”.  

On the labour front, while AFS aims to ensure a high-skilled tech workforce, it may be noted that towards the end of June an Unifor union drive campaign was established outside an Amazon facility in New Westminister, BC. The campaign was supported by Unifor, “Canada’s largest union in the private sector”. Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s Western Regional Director, notes “Amazon workers are frustrated with issues like workload, health and safety… They are tired of not being respected. We are going to bring a union to (Canadian) Amazon workers.”  

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-06-29	Dominic Cormier, Chief of Staff Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)	Environment	Jasmin Begagic
2023-06-28	Genevieve Hinse, Chief of Staff Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Economic Development	Jasmin Begagic
2023-06-27	Lionel-Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Industry	Jasmin Begagic
2023-06-01	Eric Dagenais, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister | Assistant Deputy Minister’s Office, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Industry	Jasmin Begagic

Amazon Corporate LLC

Amazon Corporate Limited Liability Company (LLC) is another subsidiary of Amazon  which allows the company to reduce its overall tax liability in Canada.  In June 2023, Amazon LLC registered two lobbying communication reports with the Registry of Lobbyists on the topics of “transportation, economic development” and “industry, economic development”.  

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-06-28	Eric Amyot, Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister , Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) Dominic Cormier, Chief of Staff | Office of the Minister , Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)	Transportation, Economic Development	Eric Lamoureux (Consultant)
2023-06-28	Genevieve Hinse, Chief of Staff | Office of the Minister, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Industry, Economic Development	Eric Lamoureux (Consultant)

May 2023 Update: Amazon

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Amazon Web Services

In May 2023, Amazon Web Services (AWS) lobbied five times with various government departments. Two meetings were on the topic of “economic development” and three were about “industry”. Amazon Web Services’ Registry of Lobbyists profile notes that the company is interested in working with “government to promote and support Canada’s digital economy, including ensuring the availability of a high-skilled tech workforce.”  AWS is a subsidiary of Amazon that provides “on-demand cloud computing services for individuals companies and governments on a metered, pay-as-you-go basis.” As described by Nicole Foster, Director of Public Policy at AWS, AWS is the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud service provider. So far, Amazon has signed 30 government contracts valued over $10,000 in 2023.

The following table presents AWS’s lobbying communication reports logged in the month of May 2023.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-05-24	Sony Perron, President Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2023-05-24	Vidya Shankarnarayan, Assistant Deputy Minister Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)	Science and Technology	Fernando Minna (Consultant)
2023-05-16	Rick Perkins, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2023-05-16	Rick Perkins, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Science and Technology	Fernando Minna (Consultant)
2023-05-15	Brad Vis, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Eric Gales
2023-05-15	Rick Perkins, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Eric Gales
2023-05-15	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Boyan Gerasimov, Director of Policy Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Industry	Eric Gales

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services, ULC

In May 2023, Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services (ACFS) logged three communications reports with the Registry of Lobbyists. These meetings were on three separate topics: “economic development”, “industry”, and “broadcasting”. As noted in a previous monthly blog post, ACFS does not list much information about the subject matter that they lobby about. ACFS merely notes that they “Work with government to facilitate the process of selling goods and services online, and delivering them to consumers”, and “work with government to promote and support Canada’s digital economy, including ensuring the availability of a high-skilled tech workforce”.  This lack of information about the subject matter of their lobbying makes it difficult to interpret what ACFS may have been lobbying about in May 2023. However, it seems likely that ACFS’s meeting about Broadcasting with Vicky Eatrides of the CRTC was about Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. The Online Streaming Act, which received royal assent on April 27, 2023, updates Canada’s Broadcasting Act to account for online streaming giants like Amazon which hosts its own streaming service Amazon Prime. As of 2021, Amazon Prime Video has a viewership of 12.2 million in Canada. Bill C-11 requires streaming services like Amazon and Netflix to “contribute to Canadian content and make it accessible to users in Canada — or face steep penalties”.  

The following table presents ACFS’s lobbying communication reports logged in the month of May 2023.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-05-25	Christopher Cinqmars-Viau, Senior Policy Advisor Finance Canada (FIN)	Economic Development	Jasmin Begagic
2023-05-24	Iqwinder Gaheer, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Jasmin Begagic
2023-05-02	Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)	Broadcasting	Jasmin Begagic

March and April 2023 Update: Amazon

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

This monthly lobbying report follows Amazon’s lobbying activities through the months of March and April 2023. The lobbying activities of Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services, Amazon Web Services, and Amazon Corporate LLC are discussed in three separate sections. Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services is a subsidiary of Amazon which involves the shipping and delivering services offered by Amazon. Amazon Web Services is a subsidiary of Amazon that “provides on-demand cloud computing services for individuals, companies and governments on a metred, pay-as-you-go basis”. Amazon Corporate Limited Liability Company (LLC) is another subsidiary of Amazon which allows the company to reduce its overall tax liability.

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services: March and April 2023

In March and April 2023, Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services (ACFS) logged eight lobbying communications reports. During this period, ACFS lobbied about “industry” and “broadcasting” each on three separate occasions. As reflected in the charts for March and April, they also lobbied about “telecommunications” and “economic development”. Although lobbyists are required to provide details about the subject matter they lobby about, ACFS does not provide much additional context about these topics in their registry of lobbyist profile. ACFS merely notes that they “Work with government to facilitate the process of selling goods and services online, and delivering them to consumers”, and “work with government to promote and support Canada’s digital economy, including ensuring the availability of a high-skilled tech workforce”.  A lack of details about lobbying subject matter makes it difficult to interpret what specific issues and positions ACFS lobbies about. However, it is likely that ACFS’s lobbying about broadcasting continues to be about their position on Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, which received royal assent on April 27, 2023. See this blog post for more information on Amazon’s position and recent activities related to Bill C-11.

The following tables present ACFS’s lobbying communication reports for the months of March and April 2023.

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services: March 2023

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-03-07	Julie Dabrusin, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Economic Development	Jasmin Begagic
2023-03-09	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Industry	Jasmin Begagic
2023-03-15	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Industry	Jasmin Begagic
2023-03-16	Ron Ahluwalia, Director Of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting	Jasmin Begagic
2023-03-23	Eric Dagenais, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister | Assistant Deputy Minister’s Office, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Telecommunications	Jasmin Begagic
2023-03-31	Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) Scott Shortliffe, Executive Director | Broadcasting, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)	Broadcasting	Jasmin Begagic

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services: April 2023

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-04-14	Scott Shortliffe, Executive Director | Broadcasting, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)	Broadcasting	Jasmin Begagic
2023-04-24	Ryan Williams, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Jasmin Begagic

Amazon Web Services: March and April 2023

This section presents Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) lobbying activities using filed communication reports for the months of March and April 2023. Following the tables presenting AWS’s lobbying, this section also lists all government contracts AWS signed with various government departments valued over $10,000.

From March to April 2023, AWS logged 18 lobbying communication reports. In March, AWS filed 6 communication reports on various topics which can be viewed in the table found below. In April, AWS filed 12 communication reports, all on the topic of “national security/security.”  AWS met with various government departments to discuss issues related to “national security/security”. Although tech corporations often lobby to influence the path of pending legislation, they may also lobby about the release of new web services. For example, in April, AWS lobbied the Canadian Center for Cyber Security (CCCS), and this “Canada’s authoritative source of cyber security expert guidance for Canadian government, industry, and the general public”  Amazon notes that “on a periodic basis, CCCS assesses new or previously unassessed services and re-assesses the AWS services that were previously assessed to verify that they continue to meet the GC requirements.” CCCS prioritizes the assessment of new AWS services based on their availability in Canada, and customer demand for the AWS services. It may be that AWS was meeting with CCCS to discuss its new GaudDuty features. GaurdDuty is Amazon’s threat detection service. On April 24, 2023, AWS announced “three new Amazon GaurdDuty capabilities to help customers protect container, database, and serverless workloads.”

The following charts present AWS’s lobbying communication reports in March and April 2023.

Amazon Web Services: March 2023

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-03-07	Ben Lobb, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Government Procurement	Eric Gales
2023-03-14	Sami Khoury, Head Canadian Center for Cyber Security Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-03-16	Samir Chhabra, Director General Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Surdas Mohit, Acting Director Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Eric Gales
2023-03-16	Mohummed Peer, Constituency Assistant House of Commons	Privacy and Access to Information	Eric Gales
2023-03-21	Sony Perron, President Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2023-03-29	Boyan Gerasimov, Director of Policy Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales

Amazon Web Services: April 2023

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-04-11	Bryan Larkin, Deputy Commissioner | Specialized Policing Services, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-11	Scott Jones, Executive Vice President | President’s Office, Shared Services Canada (SSC)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-11	Patrick Boucher, Assistant Deputy Minister | National and Cyber Security Branch, Public Safety Canada (PS) Tricia Geddes, Associate Deputy Minister Public Safety Canada (PS) Shawn Tupper, Deputy Minister Public Safety Canada (PS)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-11	Patrick Boucher, Assistant Deputy Minister | National and Cyber Security Branch, Public Safety Canada (PS) Tricia Geddes, Associate Deputy Minister Public Safety Canada (PS) Shawn Tupper, Deputy Minister Public Safety Canada (PS)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-11	Daniel Rogers, Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet | Emergency Preparedness and COVID Recovery, Privy Council Office (PCO)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-12	Simon Kennedy, Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-12	Rajiv Gupta, Associate Head | Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) Sami Khoury, Head | Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-24	Rajiv Gupta, Associate Head | Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-24	Eric Dagenais, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister | Assistant Deputy Minister’s Office, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Boyan Gerasimov, Director of Policy Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-24	Corinne Havard, Policy Advisor National Defence (DND)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-24	Daniel Rogers, Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet | Emergency Preparedness and COVID Recovery, Privy Council Office (PCO)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2023-04-24	Patrick Boucher, Assistant Deputy Minister | National and Cyber Security Branch, Public Safety Canada (PS)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales

Amazon Web Services Contracts Signed Valued Over $10,000

AWS signed 14 contracts valued over $10,000 in March 2023. The total value of contracts signed in March is $6,248,656.20. The following table presents all government contracts valued over $10,000 signed by AWS in March 2023. Data about contracts signed in April remains unavailable, this data is published quarterly.

Date	Value	Government Department	Work Description
Mar 3, 2023	$357,984.00	Shared Services Canada	Tuition fees and costs of attending courses including seminars not elsewhere specified
Mar 7, 2023	$214,293.20	Health Canada	Info Technology and Telecomm Consultants
Mar 8, 2023	$350,661.60	Natural Resources Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
Mar 14, 2023	$525,992.40	Health Canada	Info Technology and Telecomm Consultants
Mar 17, 2023	$50,000.00	Environment and Climate Change Canada	Computer services (includes IT solutions/deliverables as well as IT managed
Mar 19, 2023	$226,000.00	National Research Council Canada	Computer services (includes IT solutions/deliverables as well as IT managed services)
Mar 21, 2023	$299,450.00	National Defence	Other professional services not elsewhere specified
Mar 21, 2023	$564,954.80	National Defence	Other professional services not elsewhere specified
Mar 28, 2023	$818,210.40	Natural Resources Canada	Computer services (includes IT solutions/deliverables as well as IT managed services)
Mar 28, 2023	$316,965.00	Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
Mar 28, 2023	$316,965.00	Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
Mar 29, 2023	$389,624.00	Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada	License/Maintenance fees for Client Software
Mar 29, 2023	$77,924.80	Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada	License/Maintenance fees for Client Software
Mar 30, 2023	$1,739,631.00	Shared Services Canada	License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)

Amazon Corporate LLC: April 2023

In April 2023, Amazon LLC lobbied on the subject matter of “Small Business, Taxation and Finance”. See this blog post for more information about Amazon’s interests regarding small businesses.  

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-04-12	Christophe Cinqmars-Viau, Policy Advisor Finance Canada (FIN)	Small Business, Taxation and Finance	Steve Van Groningen, (Consultant)

February 2023 Update: Amazon

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

This monthly lobbying report follows Amazon’s lobbying activities through the month of February 2023. It draws on news articles published during this lobbying period to contextualize Amazon’s lobbying efforts.

The first section traces Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services lobbying activities which were focused on Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, and small businesses. Bill C-11 passed in the Senate with amendments on February 2, 2023. Bill C-11 is aimed at streaming services like Amazon Prime which would become subjected to “Canadian content requirements and regulations comparable to traditional broadcasters.” Bill C-11 would require major streaming platforms to spend millions investing in producing and promoting Canadian content.

Amazon Web Services Canada’s lobbying activities appear to remain focussed on government procurement as they continue to seek government contracts for their cloud services.

Neither Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services nor Amazon Web Services registered lobbying communications reports for the month of January 2023.

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services, ULC: February 2023 Lobbying Summary

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services did not report any lobbying communications during the months of December 2022 or January 2023. However, in February 2023, the company picked up where it had left off in November 2022, reporting five lobbying communications with various government officials. Three of the five meetings were about “broadcasting”. As noted in a previous monthly update blog post, Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services’ lobbying profile on the Registry of Lobbyist websitedoes not explain specifically what it lobbies about related to broadcasting. However, it is likely that Amazon’s lobbying about broadcasting is related to Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, which passed with several amendments in the Senate on February 2, 2023. Bill C-11 updates Canada’s Broadcasting Act to account for online streaming giants like Amazon which hosts its own streaming service Amazon Prime. As of 2021, Amazon Prime Video has a viewership of 12.2 million in Canada. Bill C-11 requires streaming services like Netflix and Amazon to “contribute to Canadian content and make it accessible to users in Canada — or face steep penalties”.  

Amazon’s position on Bill C-11 is similar to those of other major streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube. In August 2022, a trade group representing YouTube, Amazon, and Spotify, called the Digital Media Association (DiMA), submitted a letter to the Standing Committee in Transport and Communications on Bill C-11.  DiMA called Bill C-11 an “antiquated approach to internet communications” which “attempts to impose a system of regulation that is designed for traditional broadcasters onto streaming services” . DiMA articulated this antiquated approach to broadcasting regulation in the digital era as an impediment for “innovative streaming services in an era of consumer choice, where, otherwise, there are no gatekeepers to content as there are in the broadcasting context.”

Although Canadian Heritage Minister, Pablo Rodriguez notes that there has been “been approximately 218 witnesses, 43 meetings, 119 briefs and 73 proposed amendments” about Bill C-11 between the House of Commons and the Senate, Amazon has not had representatives serve as a witnesses in either the House of Commons or Senate to discuss the Bill. Amazon’s involvement with DiMA suggests that Amazon has elected to work behind the scenes compared to other major streaming platforms who are lobbing more actively and publicly against Bill C-11.

Indeed, it appears as though Amazon is a part of a united front of American corporations who are lobbying against Bill C-11. Deputy United States trade representative Jayme White has expressed Washington’s concern that Bill C-11 unfairly targets American firms. Likewise, US trade representative Katherine Tai expressed the US’s “ongoing concerns with… pending legislation in the Canadian Parliament that could impact digital streaming services and online news sharing and discriminate against U.S businesses”.  Canada argues that Bill C-11 does not infringe any of its trade obligations with the US. Michael Geist notes that these discussions between Canadian and U.S. officials suggests that Bill C-11 may be an item for discussion between Biden and Trudeau during Bidens upcoming visit to Canada in March. Canadian Lawyer Lawrence Herman has noted that this type of intervention by American politicians in Canada’s pending legislation reflects “a well-orchestrated lobbying effort by the major digital platforms”.

In February 2023, Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services also lobbied on the topics of “small business” and “economic development”. It is unclear exactly what Amazon lobbies about related to small businesses. However, on its website, Amazon Canada expresses the corporations commitment to small businesses, claiming they are the “backbone of the Canadian economy” because they create jobs and drive innovation. According to a 2022 Amazon Canada Impact Report released in December 2022, Amazon has grown more than 40,000 full and part time employees across Canada. In 2021, more than 41,000 third-party sellers from across Canada sold more than 100 million products on Amazon.  Amazon also invests in tools and services to help small businesses reach more customers and protect their brands. For example, in 2021, Amazon “launched the Intellectual Property (IP) Accelerator in Canada, which directly connects Canadian Small Business owners with a curated network of local law firms charging reduced rates on key trademark protection services, giving SMBs access to expert legal and general IP advice that may otherwise be cost-prohibitive or hard to find”.  

While Amazon displays a commitment to Canadian Small Businesses, it is important to note that in the past, this type of support has served as a shield from looming antitrust legislation. For example, in March 2022, POLITICO reported that in the United States, lobbyists for Amazon had “mobilized an army of small businesses as well as users who rely on their platforms to discourage Congress from passing bills aimed at curtailing their power”. Further, although Amazon supports small businesses, the Financial Post recently reported that “Amazon is taking half of each sale from its merchants”. Although Amazon provides a platform and resources for small businesses to compete in the global marketplace, Juozas Kaziukenas of the research firm Marketplace Pulse, notes that for small businesses, “it’s getting harder and harder to be profitable because they are spending more and more money on Amazon fees”.   The following table presents Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services’ lobbying communications through the month of February 2023. This table was compiled using info from the Registry of Lobbyist website.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-02-02	Ron Ahluwalia, Director Of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH) Jude Welch, Chief of Staff Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting	Jasmin Begagic
2023-02-08	James Maloney, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Broadcasting	Jasmin Begagic
2023-02-09	Husain Aboghodieh, Policy Advisor Global Affairs Canada (GAC)	Small Business	Jasmin Begagic
2023-02-10	Ron Ahluwalia, Director Of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting	Jasmin Begagic
2023-02-16	Sébastien Lemire, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Economic Development	Jasmin Begagic

Amazon Web Services Canada, Inc.: February 2023 Lobbying Summary

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a subsidiary of Amazon that “provides on-demand cloud computing services for individuals, companies and governments on a metred, pay-as-you-go basis”. As noted in an earlier company profile blog post, “according to the subject matter details provided in the lobbying registrations, nearly all of Amazon’s lobbying is in an effort to pursue Government contracts through their subsidiary Amazon Web Services’ cloud-based solutions software, and to influence policy decisions as they relate to cloud computing.” 

Amazon Web Services remains focused on government procurement for their cloud services. Based on Amazon’s lobbying communication reports filed in February, the corporation may currently be seeking government procurement for cloud services for the Department of National Defence (DND). In February 2023, AWS met with two separate DND officials to discuss “government procurement” and “defence”. As noted in a previous company profile blog, in February 2022, Dave Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute noted that it would  soon be time for Canada to modernize the military’s systems and processors. It is possible that Amazon is aiming to secure contracts with the Canadian Government to supply these services. In February 2023, Amazon Web Services signed contracts worth  $442,653.76 on February 14 with National Film Board for work related to the “Rental of computer equipment related to production and operations (P&O) environment – All servers, storage, printers, etc. (includes all related parts and peripherals)”. The subsidiary of Amazon also signed a contract on February 1 worth $97,406.00 with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for work related to “license and Maintenance fees for Client Software”.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-02-03	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2023-02-03	Elizabeth Anderson, Senior Special Assistant Global Affairs Canada (GAC)	Industry	Gales
2023-02-07	Rob Jamieson, Senior Policy Advisor Office of the Minister Public Safety, Public Safety Canada (PS)	Industry	Eric Gales
2023-02-16	Corinne Havard, Policy Advisor National Defence (DND)	Government Procurement	Eric Gales
2023-02-16	Thomas Gagne, Director, Stakeholder Relations National Defence (DND)	Defence	Eric Gales

November and December 2022 Update: Amazon

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Student (McMaster University)

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services, ULC: November Lobbying Summary

This monthly lobbying report follows Amazon’s lobbying activity through the months of November and December 2022. This blog post is structured to present Amazon’s November 2022 lobbying communications and activities first, followed by Amazon’s December 2022 lobbying communications and activities. Lastly, this blog post provides an overview of Amazon’s government contracts valued over $10,000 that were signed in the months of November and December 2022.

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Amazon.com Sales and Amazon Foreign Holdings. Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services involve the sorting and distribution of customer orders in Canada. In the last month, AFS has lobbied Members of the Senate, Members of Parliament, Policy Advisors of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), and Policy Advisors of Canadian Heritage (PCH) on the subject of “Broadcasting” for a total of six registered lobbying communications. Sumegha Kuma, Director of Canadian Customer Fulfillment Operations for Amazon Canada, has also registered two communications reports on the topic of “Economic Development” with Members of Parliament. Amazon Canada Fulfilment’s lobbying registration notes that it aims to “Work with government to facilitate the process of selling goods and services online and delivering them to consumers” and “to promote and support Canada’s digital economy, including ensuring the availability of a high-skilled tech workforce.”  

While Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services’ lobbying profiledoes not explain what it specifically lobbies about related to broadcasting, this lobbying activity is likely related to Bill C-11 as Amazon hosts its own streaming service Amazon Prime. As noted in a previous monthly update,As of 2021, Amazon Prime Video has a viewership of 12.2 million in Canada.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matter	Responsible Officer
2022-11-02	Leo Housakos, Senator Senate of Canada	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar
2022-11-07	Julie Miville-Dechêne, Senator Senate of Canada	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar
2022-11-10	Lionel Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar
2022-11-14	Pierre Paul-Hus, Member of Parlliament House of Commons	Economic Development	Sumegha Kumar
2022-11-16	Matthew Gray, Policy Advisor Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar
2022-11-21	Gérard Deltell, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Economic Development	Sumegha Kumar
2022-11-25	Matthew Gray, Policy Advisor Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Heritage (PCH) Ron Ahluwalia, Director Of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar
2022-11-30	Peter Opdam, Senior Policy Advisor Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Intellectual Property	Sumegha Kumar

Amazon Corporate LLC: November Lobbying Summary

Amazon Corporate LLC is a subsidiary of Amazon which filled two lobbying communication reports on the subject matters of “Broadcasting,” and “Arts and Culture” for November 2022. A lobbying consultant for Amazon Corporate LLC met with Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne, and on another occasion with a Policy Advisor at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matter	Responsible Officer
2022-11-07	Julie Miville-Dechêne, Senator Senate of Canada	Broadcasting,  Arts and Culture	Steve Van Groningen (consultant)
2022-11-10	Fritz-Lionel Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Broadcasting, Arts and Culture	Steve Van Groningen (Consultant)

Amazon Web Services: November Lobbying Summary

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a subsidiary of Amazon that “provides on-demand cloud computing services for individuals, companies and governments on a metred, pay-as-you-go basis”.  AWS registered 17 communications reports in the month of November. Seven of these communications were on the topic of “Industry” with Members of Parliament and a Vice Chief of Defence Staff National Defence (DND). Another seven of the communications were about “Science and Technology” with Policy Advisors in various government departments such as Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). Amazon Web Services also met with Members of Parliament to discuss “Privacy and Access to Information”. One communication report states that consultant Steve Van Groningen met a Policy Advisor of the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss “Broadcasting,” and “Arts and Culture.”

On December 14, 2022 Nicole Foster, AWS Inc’s Director of Global Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, and Canada Public Policy, served as a witness during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI).  The meeting was about “Privacy Concerns in Relation to the ArriveCAN Application.

Introduced in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Government’s ArriveCAN app served as a vaccination verification and COVID-19 screening tool for travellers crossing borders. Use of ArriveCAN became mandatory for travellers in February 2021. The app collects personal data identification data like names, telephone number, address, and also vaccination status, which is then used to help public health officials enforce the government’s quarantine rules.

Privacy concerns and controversies have loomed over the ArriveCAN app. In July 2022, the government acknowledged a glitch in the app which mistakenly sent more than 10,000 vaccinated travellers a quarantine requirement notice.  It took the government 12 days to notify travellers of the error . There were also reports that the app was tracking location data without user’s knowledge.

Concerns were raised about how long the information is stored and how it is shared between different government agencies. In June 2020, federal Conservatives pushed for a formal review the potential misuse of data collected and stored by ArriveCAN. In response, the Privacy Commissioner confirmed that he had no concerns related to the ArriveCAN app, but launched a new investigation a month later when the Office of the Privacy Commissioner received a privacy complaint related to ArriveCAN.

Because the Canadian Government contracted the work on developing the app with tech companies, the technology behind the app is considered proprietary information. This has frustrated the government’s attempts to learn about how the software works. When the MP’s requested information about the contractors used to develop the app, the files provided by Canada Border Services Agency were heavily redacted.

In front of the ETHI standing committee, Foster answered questions related to AWS’s involvement in the development of ArriveCAN and the app’s privacy concerns. Foster could only give the ETHI a partial understanding of the services and contract totals that Amazon was involved in for the ArriveCAN project. When asked whether Foster was satisfied with the privacy framework of the ArriveCAN app, Foster noted that decisions related to the governance of privacy are decisions for the customer – in this case the government, to make. “Our job, really, is to provide the tools to enable the customer to govern data in the way they want to govern data.” When asked how much Amazon was paid for their contracted involvement in the ArriveCAN app, Foster noted, “In the case of all our customers, we protect customer confidentiality, so we would never proactively disclose that information without customer consent. It would really be up to our customers to choose to share that information.”  Such partial responses evoked the frustration from members of the ETHI Committee who questioned whether Foster was the proper Amazon representative to speak on front of the Standing Committee. These frustrations related to privacy concerns and information about government contracts may signal what Amazon has lobbied about in lobbying communications.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matter	Responsible Officer
2022-11-02	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2022-11-08	Taki Sarantakis, President Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2022-11-10	Caitlin Szymberski , Director of Policy Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS) – Kylie Phillips, Policy Advisor Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2022-11-15	Joel Lightbound, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Naresh Raghubeer
2022-11-15	SÉBASTIEN  LEMIRE, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Naresh Raghubeer
2022-11-16	Mollie Royds, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2022-11-17	Harry Orbach-Miller, Policy Advisor and Senior Coordinator Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2022-11-17	Colin Lalonde, Director of Policy Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2022-11-19	Frances Allen, Vice Chief of Defence Staff National Defence (DND)	Industry	Eric Gales
2022-11-21	Simon Page, Assistant Deputy Minister Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2022-11-23	Alexandre Boulerice, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Privacy and Access to Information	Eric Gales
2022-11-23	Iqwinder Gaheer, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Privacy and Access to Information	Eric Gales
2022-11-23	Alexandre Boulerice, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Kevin Bosch (Consultant)
2022-11-23	Iqwinder Gaheer, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Kevin Bosch (Consultant)
2022-11-23	Alexandre Boulerice, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Naresh Raghubeer (Consultant)
2022-11-23	Iqwinder Gaheer, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Industry	Naresh Raghubeer (Consultant)

Amazon Web Services: December Lobbying Summary

AWS registered three communication reports for the month of December 2022 about ‘Science and Technology’, ‘Industry’, and ‘Economic Development.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matter	Responsible Officer
2022-12-05	Colin Deacon, Senator Senate of Canada	Science and Technology	Eric Gales
2022-12-06	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Peter Opdam, Senior Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Industry	Eric Gales
2022-12-12	Paul Thompson, Deputy Minister Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Scott Jones, Associate Deputy Minister Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Government Procurement	Eric Gales

Amazon’s Government Contracts Signed During November and December 2022

Amazon Web services signed three government contracts, each valued over $10,000 between the months on November and December 2022. This list was complied from content available on the Search Government Contracts over $10,000 site.  

Date of Contract	Value	Organization	Work Description
2022-11-14	$564,954.80	Canada Revenue Agency	Computer services (includes IT solutions/deliverables as well as IT managed services
2022-12-07	$564,954.80	National Defence	Information technology and telecommunications consultants
2022-12-13	$258,600.00	Natural Resources Canada	Information technology and telecommunications consultants

October 2022 Update: Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services

By: Helen Beny, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Amazon.com Sales and Amazon Foreign Holdings. In the last month, AFS has lobbied key offices, including the Canadian Heritage, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunication Commission (CRTC) and Finance Canada–all regarding “broadcasting”. 

As of 2021, Amazon Prime Video has a viewership of 12.2 million in Canada. The increased discussion around Bill C-11 could help explain AFS’ lobbying efforts. Bill C-11 is in the Senate and has passed first reading.

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services Lobbying Summary

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-09-26	Ron Ahluwalia, Directory of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH)   Matthew Gray, Policy Advisor Canadian (PCH)	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar, President
2022 – 09-28	Scott Shortliffe, Executive Director I Broadcasting Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar, President
2022 – 09-29	Anthony Laporte, Director I Strategy and Outreach, Finance Canada (FIN)	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar, President
2022-10-27	Matthew Gray, Policy Advisor Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar, President

(Office of the Lobbying Commissioner 2022)

Amazon Web Services  

In comparison, Amazon Web Services is interested in promoting the digital economy and is meeting with multiple departments regarding Amazon Cloud and cloud-based services. In the past month, Amazon has met with several offices regarding privacy and access to information, science, and technology.  

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-10-05	Colin Deacon, Senator Senate of Canada	Privacy and Access to Information	Eric Gales, President
2022-10-05	Leo Housakos, Senator Senate of Canada	Privacy and Access to Information	Eric Gales, President
2022-10-05	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Eric Gales, President
2022-10-05	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistance Deputy Minister I Strategy and Innovation Policy Sector, Innovation, Science and economic Development Canada (ISED)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales, President
2022 – 10 – 28	Sony Perron, President Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Science and Technology	Eric Gales, President

(Office of the Lobbying Commissioner 2022)

Amazon Corporate LLC

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-10-05	Léo Housakos, Senator Senate of Canada	Economic Development, Intellectual Property, Privacy and Access to Information, Research and Development, Science and Technology	Mark Johnson (Consultant)

July and September 2022 Update: Amazon

By: Helen Beny, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Based on the data we have gathered from the Commissioner, in the past year, Amazon has logged over 90 registered communications with the Canadian government and many of them this past year are regarding industry and government procurement. Between July 16 and July 22, 2022, Amazon Web Services, under AWS Canada head Eric Gales, has lobbied the Canada School of Public Service; Immigration (President Taki Sarantakis; topic: economic development). The school offers a “Digital Academy” to teach public servants about a range of topics, including cloud computing and cybersecurity. 

AWS also lobbied Refugees and Citizenship Canada (Kyle Nicholson, Director of Policy; topic: immigration), and the Treasury Board (Shirley Ivan, Senior ADM; topic: infrastructure). The Treasury Board is responsible for policies that apply across the federal government, including those related to cloud computing and artificial intelligence. 

Amazon Web Services Lobbying Summary (July – September 2022)

Communication Date	DPOH, Position Title | Government Institution	Subject Matters	Lobbyist
2022-09-27	Mollie Royds, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Government Procurement	Eric Gales
2022-09-16	Greg Da Re, Regional Director | Invest in Canada, Global Affairs Canada (GAC)	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2022-09-14	Rob Jamieson, Senior Advisor Public Safety Canada (PS)	National Security/Security	Eric Gales
2022-09-14	Stephen Burt, Chief Data Officer Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)	Privacy and Access to Information	Eric Gales
2022-09-08	Zepporah Toh, Senior Director Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Government Procurement	Eric Gales
2022-09-08	Dan McKinney, Director National Defence (DND)	Defence	Eric Gales
2022-08-16	Taki Sarantakis, President Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)	Economic Development	Eric Gales
2022-08-10	Brad Redekopp, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Immigration	Eric Gales
2022-08-04	Corinne Havard, Policy Advisor National Defence (DND)	National Security/Security, Defence	Eric Gales
2022-07-22	Shirley Ivan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Treasury Board Of Canada Secretariat (TBS)	Infrastructure	Eric Gales
2022-07-22	Kyle Nicholson, Director of Policy Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)	Immigration	Eric Gales
2022-07-07	Taki Sarantakis, President Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)	Economic Development	Eric Gales

   (Office of the Commissioner 2022)

Amazon Fulfillment Services (AFS) a subsidiary of Amazon, under Sumegha Kumar (President), lobbied the Members of Parliament Francis Drouin and Marie-France Lalonde on the topic of “employment and training.” AFS has built Amazon warehouses around the country, creating jobs and a physical presence for the company in Canada. They also lobbied Finance Canada (Tyler Meredith, Director of Economic Strategy and Planning: topic: taxation and finance). Amazon has become Canada’s largest online retailer and has found a way to limit the taxation of their profits by using their subsidiary AFS. 

Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services Lobbying Summary (July – September 2022)

Communication Date	DPOH, Position Title | Government Institution	Subject Matters	Lobbyist
2022-09-29	Anthony Laporte, Director | Strategy and Outreach, Finance Canada (FIN)	Taxation and Finance	Sumegha Kumar
2022-09-28	Scott Shortliffe, Executive Director | Broadcasting, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar
2022-09-26	Ron Ahluwalia, Director Of Policy Canadian Heritage (PCH) Matthew Gray, Policy Advisor Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Broadcasting	Sumegha Kumar
2022-09-23	Samir Kassam, Senior Policy Advisor | Office of the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Global Affairs Canada (GAC)	International Trade	Sumegha Kumar
2022-08-25	Doug Band, Director General | Trade and Anti Dumping Programs, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)	International Trade	Sumegha Kumar
2022-08-25	Fred Gaspar, Vice President | Commercial and Trade, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)	International Trade	Sumegha Kumar
2022-08-09	Claude DeBellefeuille, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Economic Development	Sumegha Kumar
2022-07-11	Tyler Meredith, Director of Economic Strategy and Planning Finance Canada (FIN)	Taxation and Finance	Sumegha Kumar

         (Office of the Commissioner 2022)

In August, under Amazon Corporate LLC, Mark Johnson lobbied Member of Parliament (Brad Redekopp; topic: employment and training, immigration, economic development, small business, and consumer issues). Last year, Amazon Canada announced their commitment to hire 15,000 full-time and part-time employees across Canada and the company’s expansion could help explain their immigration, economic development, and employment lobbying efforts.  

Amazon Corporate LLC Lobbying Summary (July – September 2022)

Communication Date	DPOH, Position Title | Government Institution	Subject Matters	Lobbyist
2022-08-24	Patricia Sibal, Policy Advisor Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)	International Trade	Steve Van Groningen
2022-08-10	Brad Redekopp, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Consumer Issues, Economic Development, Employment and Training, Immigration, Small Business	Mark Johnson

(Office of the Commissioner 2022)

October 2023 Lobbying Update: Microsoft

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

Microsoft recorded five communications reports surrounding the subject matters of government procurement, industry, and privacy and access to information. 

Microsoft saw a quarterly increase due to the strengthening of its Cloud services. Notably, the technology announced new advancements and introductions of AI based to help healthcare improve patient and clinician experiences.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-10-05	Mary-Rose Brown, Director of PolicyPublic Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Elisabeth d’Amours, Director of OperationsPublic Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Government Procurement	Chris Barry
2023-10-19	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy MinisterInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Industry	Chris Barry
2023-10-26	Jaxson Khan, Senior Policy AdvisorInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Industry	Chris Barry
2023-10-27	Brian MacKay, Director Policy & Stakeholder EngagementCanadian Heritage (PCH)	Industry	Chris Barry
2023-10-30	Brian Masse, Member of ParliamentHouse of Commons	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry

September 2023 Update: Microsoft

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In the month of September Microsoft recorded 10 communications reports with Industry, Science and Technology, Privacy and Access to Information, Government Procurement, National Security/Security, Defence. 

Making the largest headlines over the last month was Microsoft’s executive calling for action from governmental agencies to regulate Artificial Intelligence. 

Microsoft was also making headlines as the key case for antitrust allegations against Google as the use of Bing being shut out of popular devices, like Apple products, pointed to Alphabet’s dominance within the field. The scale of the anti-trust case, which has not been seen since the Microsoft anti-trust trial of 1998, leads many journalists to argue echoing in the procedure and a similar strategy used to try and combat the tech giant.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-09-11	Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH)Brian MacKay, Director of Policy and Stakeholder Relations | Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Industry	Chris Barry
2023-09-12	Nick Kang, Senior Policy AdvisorPrime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Science and technology	Chris Barry
2023-09-13	Surdas Mohit, Director | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)Samir Chhabra, Director General | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-09-13	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-09-14	Sami Khoury, Head, Canadian Centre for Cyber Security | Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC	National Security/Security	Chris Barry
2023-09-15	Amy Awad, Director General | Canadian Heritage (PCH)Owen Ripley, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister | Canadian Heritage (PCH)Pierre-Marc Lauzon, Director | Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Industry	Chris Barry
2023-09-20	Jaxson Khan, Senior Policy AdvisorInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy/Access to Informtation	Chris Barry
2023-09-21	Scott Jones, President | Shared Services Canada (SSC)Kevin McHarg, Policy Advisor | Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister | Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)Olivier Pilon, Press Secretary | Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Government Procurement	Chris Barry
2023-09-22	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)Samir Chhabra, Director General | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)Jaxson Khan, Senior Policy Advisor | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	IndustryPrivacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-09-28	Marie-Pierre Schryburt, Policy Analyst | Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC)Wendy Hadwen, Deputy Chief, Strategic Policy, Planning & Partnerships | Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC)	DefenceScience and TechnologyNational Security/Security	Kyra Mullen, Compass Rose Group

August 2023 Update: Microsoft

By: Kyle Wyndham-West, PhD Student (McMaster University)

In August Microsoft recorded two communications with the Registry of Lobbyists on the topics of “Industry”, “Privacy and Access to Information”, “Science and Technology”, “Defence”, “Government Procurement”, and “National Security/Security”.

During the month of August there were many international discussions on the issues of Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard, a video game software developer, as well as their unbundling of services from the Office Suite as per regulators in the E.U., U.S. and U.K.. Specifically in the U.K. and E.U. there were concerns by regulators from the Competition and Markets Authorities.

Microsoft has also increasingly been expanding their acquisitions and services into Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence, which would explain some of the communications reports, and could be lobbying the Canadian government on regulations and potential use cases for internal operations according to their newly developed aspirations.

Notably in regards to the “National Security/Security” communications reports is that of Microsoft’s recent involvement with email breaches in the US providing a reflection on US cyber security.

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-08-15	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor | Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	IndustryPrivacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-08-02	Marie-Pierre Schryburt, Policy Analyst | Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC) Gregory Bunghardt, Director of Cyber Security Policy | Public Safety Canada (PS) Wendy Hadwen, Deputy Chief, Strategic Policy, Planning & Partnerships | Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSEC)	Science and TechnologyDefenceGovernment ProcurementNational Security/Security	Kyra Mullen, Compass Rose Group

May 2023 Update: Microsoft

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

Microsoft logged only two communications reports in the month of May 2023. Microsoft continues to lobby on the topic “privacy and access to information”. Microsoft has now lobbied about this topic ten times between March and May 2023. As noted in the March and April 2023 monthly update on Microsoft, it is possible that Microsoft’s lobbying on this topic is related to Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act (2022). In April, Bill C-27 passed a second reading in the House of Commons. Now the Bill is under consideration by the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. On May 10, 2023, the Committee was briefed by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.  The Privacy Commissioner made 15 key recommendations for Bill C-27. Among them were the assertion that “privacy be recognized as a fundamental right” in Canada. The Privacy Commissioner also raised recommendations that would create a culture of privacy “by requiring organizations to build privacy into the design of products and services and to conduct privacy impact assessments for high-risk initiatives” and to “limit organizations’ collection, use and disclosure of personal information to specific and explicit purposes that take into account the relevant context.”   It is possible that Microsoft is paying close attention to such recommendations and discussion about Bill C-27 as the company is introducing the AI powered personal assistant Copilot to its Microsoft office line of products.

The following table presents Google’s lobbying communication reports logged in the month of May 2023.

Microsoft Lobbying Communications for May 2023

Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-05-15	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) Boyan Gerasimov, Director (Policy) Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-05-11	Rick Perkins, Member of Parliament House of Commons Graham O’Brien, Legislative Assistant House of Commons	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry

March and April 2023 Update: Microsoft

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

This blog post presents Microsoft Canada’s lobbying activities during March and April 2023 using monthly communication reports found on the registry of lobbyist website. This post also includes all government contracts valued over $10,000 during the month of March, 2023. Data for contracts signed during the month of April is not yet available. Data on contracts are updated quarterly. March 2023, Microsoft Canada logged only two lobbying communication reports. One on the subject matter of “industry” the other on “privacy and access to information”. In April 2023, Microsoft registered 10 communication reports, seven of which were about privacy and access to information.

In the previous Tech Lobby monthly update blog post about Microsoft, it was noted that the company actively lobbies about Bill C-27, the Digital Charter Implementation Act (2022). Specifically, Microsoft lobbies about “the creation of the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, the personal Information and Data Protection Tribunal Act, and the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act”.  It is possible that that Microsoft’s March and April lobbying about “privacy and access to information” are related to the Bill C-27 which plans to introduce new data privacy legislation and artificial intelligence regulation. On April 24, 2023, Bill C-27 passed second reading in the House of Commons. Currently the Bill is in consideration of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology. For more information More information about Bill C-27, see this recent Tech Lobby blog post.

On March 16, 2023, Microsoft introduced ‘Copilot’, an AI-powered assistant for popular Microsoft 365 applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams. Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President of modern work and business applications noted that Copilot works alongside Microsoft 365 app users and will boost creativity and productivity. Spartra noted that Copilot is not just for individual use, it is also intended for the corporate workplace. Copilot will create a “knowledge models” for organizations by “harnessing the massive reservoir of data and insights that lies largely inaccessible and untapped today.” Additionally, ‘Security Copilot’ pledges to protect organizations from cyberattacks by “using data from government agencies and Microsoft’s researchers, who track nation states and cybercriminal groups”.   Conscious of the recent errors of Microsoft’s chatbot AI , Spartra noted that the company understands that Copilot  “will get things wrong” initially, but assured that it will “always put you further ahead”.

It is possible that Microsoft’s lobbying communications with various government departments were about the integration of Copilot into applications that millions of Canadian uses daily. Certainly, Copilot straddles issues related to artificial intelligence and data privacy that may be in the purview of Bill C-27. Furthermore, Copilot was created through a partnership with OpenAI, which is currently  under investigation by the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner of Canada. That said, it is also possible the lobbying communications were about other topics.

The following tables provide a visual of Microsoft’s lobbying communications through March and April 2023.

Microsoft Canada Corporation: March 2023 Lobbying Summary

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-03-14	Paula Simons, Senator Senate of Canada	Industry	Chris Barry
2023-03-31	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry

Microsoft Canada Corporation: April 2023 Lobbying Summary

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-04-04	Lionel-Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-04-17	Lionel-Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Science and Technology	Chris Barry
2023-04-20	Hilary Geller, Assistant Deputy Minister Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)	Climate	Chris Barry
2023-04-24	Philippe Dufresne , Privacy Commissioner of Canada Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-04-24	Ryan Williams, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-04-25	John Brassard, Member of Parliament House of Commons	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-04-25	Colin Deacon, Senator Senate of Canada	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-04-25	Boyan Gerasimov, Director (Policy) Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry
2023-04-25	Rob Jamieson, Senior Advisor Public Safety Canada (PS) Jim Kapches, Senior Policy Advisor Public Safety Canada (PS)	Industry	Chris Barry
2023-04-26	Simon Kennedy, Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry

Microsoft Government Contracts Signed through March

In March 2023, Microsoft signed 39 government contracts valued over $10,000 with 22 different government departments. So far, in 2023, Microsoft has signed 100 contracts valued over $10,000. The value of all contracts signed by Microsoft in March alone is $24,191,614.78. A list of the government contracts signed by Microsoft in April 2023 will be released at the end of quarter 2.

February 2023 Update: Microsoft

By: Brad McNeil, PhD Candidate (McMaster University)

This brief blog post traces Microsoft’s lobbying activity in February 2023. Microsoft submitted only one communication report to the Registry of Lobbyist in February 2023. This blog post follows up on Microsoft’s earlier lobbying communication reports from November and December 2022 and uses news articles to contextualize Microsoft’s current lobbying goals. This blog post also reports government contracts valued over $10,000 that Microsoft signed form January through February.

Although Microsoft lobbyists were busy through November and December 2022, Microsoft did not log any lobbying communications reports for January 2023 and only registered one meeting in February 2023. On February 13, 2023, Chris Barry, President of Microsoft Canada, met with a Policy Advisor of the Prime Minister’s Office to discuss “privacy and access to information”. Microsoft’s profile on the registry of lobbyists website notes that the corporation is “Communicating 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.”   Microsoft’s February meeting may have been a continuation of talks about Bill C-27.  As noted in a previous monthly update blog post, Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and sponsor of Bill C-27 states that the Bill contains 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.  Currently, Bill C-27 is at second reading in the House of Commons. The Bill contains multiple acts related to digital privacy, but it also includes the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA). Additionally, Catharine Tunney of the CBC notes that Bill C-27 would force companies to “obtain consent from customers through plain language – not a long, jargon-filled legal document – before using their personal data.” The Bill would also give Canadians the right to request deletion of their personal data  collected by corporations. Should digital corporations fail to comply with the privacy rules set put by Bill C-27, they could face “fines of up to five per cent of global revenue or $25 million — whichever is greater — for the most serious offences.” According to Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains, Bill C-27 would provide “the heaviest fines among the G7 nations’ privacy laws.” Undoubtedly, Microsoft seeks to understand how AiDA may challenge the companies plans to incorporate ChatGPT’s artificial intelligence into its Bing search engine and Edge web browser which will serve as AI banisters for Microsoft users navigating their way through the web. Although Microsoft did not file any lobbying communication reports in January 2023, the company did sign two government contracts over $10,000. On January 1, Microsoft signed a contract valued at $10,339.94 with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for work related to computer equipment (servers). On January 6, Microsoft signed a contract valued at $12,992.46 with the National Film Board for work related to “License/Maintenance fees for client software related to Distributed Computing Environment (DCE)”.

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2023-02-13	Lionel-Fritz Adimi, Policy Advisor Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry

November and December 2022 Monthly Update: Microsoft

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

October 2022 Update: Microsoft Canada Inc.

By: Helen Beny, Ph.D Candidate (McMaster University)

Microsoft Canada’s President Chris Barry has registered nine communications over the past month to discuss “privacy and access to information, government procurement, industry, and national security”. Microsoft is not in the news, but they are focused on cybersecurity policy and policies around internet safety. This month they participated in the Government of Canada’s Get Cyber Safe Initiativeto provide lessons on how to fight phishing. 

Microsoft Canada Inc. Lobbying Summary for October 2022

Communication Date	Lobbied	Subject Matters	Responsible Officer
2022-09-29	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry, President
2022-09-29	Cory Pike, Chief of Staff Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)	Government Procurement	Chris Barry, President
2022-09-29	Scott Jones, Executive Vice President Shared Services Canada (SSC)   Catherine Luelo, Chief Information Officer of Canada Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)   Sony Perron, President Shared Services Canada (SSC)	Government Procurement	Chris Barry, President
2022-10-13	Brian MacKay, Senior Policy Advisor Canadian Heritage (PCH)	Industry	Chris Barry, President
2022-10-13	Rob Jamieson, Senior Advisor Public Safety	National Security/ Security	Chris Barry, President
2022-10-20	Jaxson Khan, Policy Advisor Innovation, Sicence and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry, President
2022-10-20	Mark Schaan, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry, President
2022-10-20	Surdas Mohit, Officer Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)	Privacy and Access to Information	Chris Barry, President
2022-10-27	David McGuinty, Member of Parliament House of Commons	National Security/Security	Chris Barry, President

(Office of the Lobbying Commissioner 2022)