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Michael Geist

@mgeist.bsky.social

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

904 Posts5969 Follower 450 Folgt

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · yesterday

An open version of my Globe op-ed on addressing "awful but lawful" online hate. The core argument: platforms address much of this content in their own terms. The problem isn't policy; it's the need for enforceable rules to live up to their own standards. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/08/why-...

Why the Answers to Hateful Content Online are Hiding in the Platforms’ Own Rules - Michael Geist

The Canadian government has a two-pronged legal strategy to counter rising hate: New Criminal Code provisions to address offline harms, such as intimidation or protests outside schools and places of…

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 4d ago

Last weekend, shots fired at Kiva’s, Toronto bakery that is an institution in Jewish community. Last night, Montreal kosher restaurant burned to the ground with police investigating arson. Violent consequences of normalizing antisemitism in Canada a weekly event. montrealgazette.com/news/local-c...

Montreal police investigate possible arson at kosher restaurant Nöam

A fire that caused extensive damage to a kosher restaurant in Montreal’s Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood is being investigated as a possible arson

montrealgazette.com

The Citizen Lab @citizenlab.ca · 5d ago

Senior research associate @kate-ro.bsky.social speaks about Canada’s surprising decision to sign the UN Cybercrime Convention with @mgeist.bsky.social, arguing that it has significant implications for human rights and internet freedom. Listen: www.michaelgeist.ca/podcast/epis...

Episode 277: Kate Robertson on the Risks That Lie Behind Canada's Unexpected Signing of the UN Cybercrime Convention - Michael Geist

The Canadian government’s surprise decision to sign the UN Cybercrime Convention has sparked many questions about the convention, its risks, and what changed over the past nine months between Canada n...

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 5d ago

Michael Geist Weekly Digest #19: Online Streaming Act reset confirmed, Canadian and Indian copyright law and AI, the attacks on Kiva's and the normalization of antisemitic violence, and the risks behind Canada's signing of the UN Cybercrime Convention www.linkedin.com/pulse/weekly...

Weekly Digest #19: Online Streaming Act reset confirmed, Canadian copyright law and AI, normalization of antisemitism, and UN Cybercrime Treaty risks

Issue #19 | July 31, 2026 Late July is usually quiet in Ottawa, but not this week. A court filing confirmed the full collapse of the CRTC's streamer contribution framework, a landmark AI copyright rul...

linkedin.com

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 5d ago

New laws against illegal online hate are table stakes. The harder problem is “awful but lawful” content. My Globe op-ed on how to address harms without overstepping constitutional safeguards for freedom of expression by holding platforms to their word. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Opinion: There is another way to stop ‘awful but lawful’ online harms

Holding social-media platforms to their own commitments offers a way to address harmful but lawful content, while also limiting government intrusion into speech regulation

theglobeandmail.com

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 5d ago

My Globe op-ed: after this week’s antisemitic violence in Toronto, the hard question is how to address online hate that is awful but lawful. I argue the answer is hiding in plain sight: hold Internet platforms accountable for their own content rules.

Opinion: There is another way to stop ‘awful but lawful’ online harms

Holding social-media platforms to their own commitments offers a way to address harmful but lawful content, while also limiting government intrusion into speech regulation

theglobeandmail.com

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 6d ago

A landmark AI copyright ruling from India: training ChatGPT on news articles is prima facie fair dealing. Foundation for the decision? Canada's CCH Supreme Court case and its emphasis on user rights. My post on the ruling and what it means for Canadian AI policy. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/07/from...

From CCH to ChatGPT: How Canadian Copyright Law Played the Key Role in Deciding a Leading AI Training Data Case in India - Michael Geist

The Delhi High Court has released what may be one of the most consequential copyright decisions yet on artificial intelligence, ruling in ANI Media Pvt. Ltd. v. OpenAI that OpenAI’s use of copyrighted...

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 7d ago

The government's Online Streaming Act court filing confirms what it wouldn't say publicly: not just the CRTC's 15% decision but the 5% base contribution is being eliminated, with taxpayers on the hook for $600M to cover the costs. A full reset is coming.

Starting Over: Court Filing Confirms the CRTC’s Streamer Contribution Decisions Are Dead With a Full Online Streaming Act Reset to Come - Michael Geist

When the government announced plans last month to kill the CRTC’s Online Streaming Act ruling, it left a critical question unanswered: was the target only the Commission’s decision to increase…

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

Kiva survived the Holocaust and rebuilt his life in Toronto on the promise that a Jewish name on a storefront was just a name. He sold the bakery years ago. The attackers knew none of that. When antisemitism is normalized, the name on the window is enough.

The Name on the Window Was Enough: The Attacks on Kiva’s and the Normalization of Antisemitic Violence in Canada - Michael Geist

Kiva’s, the well-known Toronto Jewish bakery, was struck by gunfire and smashed windows in two locations over the weekend. This one is personal as Kiva was my grandmother’s cousin. Both were…

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

The Federal Court of Appeal has forced the government to reveal its plans for the Online Streaming Act and the CRTC’s approach. It is hitting the reset button by dropping all current contribution requirements and it’s going to take years to figure things out.

Starting Over: Court Filing Confirms the CRTC’s Streamer Contribution Decisions Are Dead With a Full Online Streaming Act Reset to Come - Michael Geist

When the government announced plans last month to kill the CRTC’s Online Streaming Act ruling, it left a critical question unanswered: was the target only the Commission’s decision to increase…

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

The Wire Report reports that government lawyers have confirmed to Federal Court of Appeal that a full contribution reset is planned for Online Streaming Act. It isn’t just the CRTC ruling that bumped rate from 5% to 15%. It’s the 5% base contribution gone as well www.thewirereport.ca/2026/07/28/b...

BREAKING: Ottawa to scrap all contribution requirements for U.S. streamers - The Wire Report

In a recent letter to the Federal Court of Appeal, the government outlined its intention to “eliminate the base contribution requirement on streaming services and to provide government funding to repl...

thewirereport.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

My childhood synagogue vandalized. A woman stabbed at my local Loblaws known for kosher food. Now Kiva's. Not a string of bad luck but the personal reality for many Jewish Canadians. My post on the attacks and the normalization of antisemitic violence in Canada.

The Name on the Window Was Enough: The Attacks on Kiva’s and the Normalization of Antisemitic Violence in Canada - Michael Geist

Kiva’s, the well-known Toronto Jewish bakery, was struck by gunfire and smashed windows in two locations over the weekend. This one is personal as Kiva was my grandmother’s cousin. Both were…

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

Kiva's generation rebuilt their lives on the promise that Canada was different. Canadian Jews increasingly fear it no longer is. The violence only stops when antisemitism stops being a hatred too many have decided they can live with, ignore, or explain away.

The Name on the Window Was Enough: The Attacks on Kiva’s and the Normalization of Antisemitic Violence in Canada - Michael Geist

Kiva’s, the well-known Toronto Jewish bakery, was struck by gunfire and smashed windows in two locations over the weekend. This one is personal as Kiva was my grandmother’s cousin. Both were…

michaelgeist.ca

Kate Robertson @kate-ro.bsky.social · last wk.

I joined the Lawbytes @lawbytes.bsky.social pod today re Canada signing on to the UN Cybercrime Convention, a treaty fuelling rising digital authoritarianism around the world. I also explain why high risk info-sharing treaties like this should not be chips in Canada's trade policy.

Michael Geist@mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

Russia, China and Iran have signed the UN Cybercrime Convention. Until 11 days ago, Canada joined the US, Japan, and NZ in staying out. Without notice, it quietly signed despite human rights concerns. @kate-ro.bsky.social joins my Law Bytes podcast to discuss. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/07/epis...

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

Same post on antisemitic attacks at Kiva's on X and Bluesky. X: 30K+ views, 200+ RTs, support mixed with false flag claims and holocaust denial. Bluesky: 3 likes, no replies. One platform supplies the gaslighting, the other the silence. My original post warned about both.

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 277: Kate Robertson on the Risks That Lie Behind Canada's Unexpected Signing of the UN Cybercrime Convention - Michael Geist

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

Politico reports Meta has provided the government with a plan to bring news links back to Facebook and Instagram. The plan basically sounds like the government would revert to pre-Online News Act by killing the law and platforms agreeing to some sector support. www.politico.com/newsletters/...

No easy way out

Meta pitches Ottawa on a way to bring news back.

politico.com

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

The Canadian government’s surprise decision to sign the UN Cybercrime Convention has sparked many questions about the convention, its risks, and why Canada reversed its previous opposition. @kate-ro.bsky.social joins my Law Bytes podcast this week to discuss. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/07/epis...

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 277: Kate Robertson on the Risks That Lie Behind Canada's Unexpected Signing of the UN Cybercrime Convention - Michael Geist

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · last wk.

Kiva was my grandmother’s first cousin. Sold years ago but bakeries keep his name. Both were holocaust survivors. Never imagined the relentless antisemitic violence would come to Canada with too many silent on the sidelines or quick to gaslight or excuse. www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/arti...

ctvnews.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 2w ago

Michael Geist Weekly Digest #18: Canada signs the UN Cybercrime Convention, a US Senator escalates the Bill C-22 backlash, and Canada’s Information Commissioner on the problems with the access-to-information system www.linkedin.com/pulse/weekly...

Weekly Digest #18: Canada signs the UN Cybercrime Convention, a US Senator escalates the Bill C-22 backlash, and problems with access-to-information

Issue #18 | July 24, 2026 Mid-summer is often treated as a policy dead zone, but this week's issue suggests the opposite: it is when some of the riskiest moves happen precisely because few are paying ...

linkedin.com

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 2w ago

In 2017, Russia pushed for a cybercrime treaty that raised immediate human rights concerns. Canada joined many others in opposition. Nearly a decade later, it is now the UN Cybercrime Treaty and despite ongoing concerns, Canada quietly signed it last week. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/07/a-su...

A Surveillance Treaty in Disguise: The Trouble With Canada's Quiet Decision to Sign the UN Cybercrime Convention - Michael Geist

Last week, the government announced that Canada has signed the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, with Ministers Anita Anand, Gary Anandasangaree and Sean Fraser touting the treaty’s child ...

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 2w ago

Canada has quietly signed the UN Cybercrime Convention, a treaty it once opposed given fears of expanded state surveillance. The US, Japan, New Zealand, and the Netherlands still haven't signed. Russia, China, and Iran signed on day one. What is happening?

A Surveillance Treaty in Disguise: The Trouble With Canada's Quiet Decision to Sign the UN Cybercrime Convention - Michael Geist

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 2w ago

Nine months ago, Canada joined key allies by declining to sign the UN Cybercrime Convention, given longstanding surveillance and human rights concerns as well as the absence of key safeguards. Last week, it quietly signed the treaty. What changed?

A Surveillance Treaty in Disguise: The Trouble With Canada's Quiet Decision to Sign the UN Cybercrime Convention - Michael Geist

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 2w ago

Senator Wyden warns that Bill C-22 represents a “counterintelligence threat” and urges the administration to take action. Given the latest Trump tariff threat, lawful access could add yet another complication in the increasingly fraught trade relationship. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/07/rush...

Rushing Lawful Access Backfires: Wyden Letter on Bill C-22 Highlights Political, Trade and Business Risks - Michael Geist

Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and the government presumably hoped that pushing Bill C-22 through a House of Commons committee past midnight without debate or a recorded vote would put an ...

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 2w ago

The government presumably hoped that pushing Bill C-22 through a Commons committee past midnight without debate would put an end to the lawful access controversy. That plan has backfired, leading to a political and trade backlash that could have been avoided. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/07/rush...

Rushing Lawful Access Backfires: Wyden Letter on Bill C-22 Highlights Political, Trade and Business Risks - Michael Geist

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 2w ago

Access delayed is access denied. And there have been a lot of delays for anyone filing access-to-information requests in Canada. Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard joins my Law Bytes podcast to critique the government’s plan to fix a broken system.

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 276: Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard on Canada’s Access to Information Failures and Why Access Delayed is Access Denied - Michael Geist

Despite repeated studies and promises for reform, Canada’s access to information system has long been plagued by long delays, overbroad exclusions, insufficient resources, and an Information…

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 2w ago

Successive governments have promised to fix Canada’s failing access-to-information law. But Canada’s Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard says the latest plans “lack ambition” and she worries about further secrecy. She joins my Law Bytes podcast to discuss.

The Law Bytes Podcast, Episode 276: Information Commissioner Caroline Maynard on Canada’s Access to Information Failures and Why Access Delayed is Access Denied - Michael Geist

Despite repeated studies and promises for reform, Canada’s access to information system has long been plagued by long delays, overbroad exclusions, insufficient resources, and an Information…

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 3w ago

Michael Geist Weekly Digest, Issue #17: why Bill C-34's social media ban is unconstitutional given current implementation plans, and the outdated data behind the AI strategy's adoption claims. www.linkedin.com/pulse/weekly...

Weekly Digest #17: Why Bill C-34's social media ban is unconstitutional and the outdated data behind the AI strategy

Issue #17 | July 17, 2026 Summer has slowed the publishing pace a little, but this week's two posts tackle two of the biggest stories in Canadian digital policy. First, a constitutional analysis of th...

linkedin.com

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 3w ago

Banning social media for millions raises obvious constitutional risks, but the safeguards meant to save it, including age verification standards and exemptions, won't be operational when the ban takes effect. My post on why safeguards come too late to save it. www.michaelgeist.ca/2026/07/why-...

Why the Government’s Plan for a Social Media Ban in Bill C-34 Is Unconstitutional - Michael Geist

he debate over the government's proposed social media ban for under 16s has raised several difficult questions, including doubts about whether it will work, which services it will cover, and what…

michaelgeist.ca

Michael Geist @mgeist.bsky.social · 3w ago

The government’s rush to push lawful access through the House of Commons without full debate is starting to backfire. Bill C-22 still faces U.S. political opposition, with concerns that it “may pose a serious counterintelligence threat.” www.morningstar.com/news/dow-jon...

Senator Urges Trump Administration to Review Canada's Lawful-Access Bill

morningstar.com