CCTS Mid-Year Report Shows Troubling Internet Issues

OTTAWA, 29 March 2021 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) noted that the 2020-21 Mid-Year Report of the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) released today shows a 6% year over year increase in consumer complaints during the months of August 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021. Customers raised more issue Internet-related issues during COVID-19 lockdown, concerning poor service quality and complete loss of service at a time when Canadians rely on internet services to complete essential activities.

“As expected, increased home internet usage by Canadians under lockdown showed the weaknesses in Canada’s Internet industry and regulation,” noted John Lawford, PIAC’s Executive Director and General Counsel. “The CRTC’s ‘Internet Code’ had only four violations despite thousands of Internet complaints – proving it’s a dead letter,” he added.

Rogers and Fido in particular, saw a rise in complaints against those brands of 23.9% and 45.3% respectively. PIAC is concerned with the trends for this corporation, given its stated intention to acquire Shaw.

Wireless services continued to be the most complained about service, although it saw a decline of 19.5% versus an increase of 6.2% for Internet services. Disclosure issues still remain a major problem as they were the top consumer concern (13% of all issues), followed by incorrect charges (12.7%) and intermittent/inadequate quality of service (11.3%) and within this issue category, complaints relating to Internet quality of service saw a 41.4% increase.

PIAC notes that disclosure concerns are a common issue year after year despite an inquiry into the sales practices of telecommunications providers by the CRTC that pointed the industry towards several flaws in their behaviour.
For more information, please contact:

John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
613-562-4002 ext. 125 (New)
(613) 447-8125 (cell)
jlawford@piac.ca

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PIAC to talk on The Action to Get Affordability panel at the Affordable Internet Day of Action

OTTAWA – March 16, 2021 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre will participate in today’s Affordable Internet Day of Action, taking place at 1 p.m. E.D.T., virtually.
Executive Director and General Counsel, John Lawford, is a panellist during the 4 p.m. discussion “ The Action We Need Right Now – How We Get Affordability: It’s time for new approaches and a break from the status quo.” Mr. Lawford will present PIAC’s argument for how to move from a solid legal ground to affordable internet to consumer action to achieve it.
The one-day virtual conference includes a coalition of partners and organizations dedicated to demanding affordable internet for all Canadians.
The event is open to the public and pre-registration is available here.
Full agenda and further details at https://www.affordable-internet.ca/
For more information:
John Lawford
Executive Director/General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
613-562-4002 x 25
Cell: 613-447-8125
Email: jlawford@piac.ca
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We Fight for That – Episode 5

We discuss Bill C-11, a proposed law to change our federal private sector privacy act that protects consumers private information when they deal with businesses.

PIAC’s articling student, Yuka Sai, joins John Lawford to discuss the epic battle between business, with an assist from the federal government, and consumers over privacy.

This battle centres on Bill C-11 and in particular, the part called the “Consumer Privacy Protection Act”.

This doublespeak title hides the facts that the bill will amend our present Canadian private sector privacy act, the Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), to allow collection and use of your personal information for any “business purpose” without your consent. This is a reversal of the law that, what, they thought we would just not notice? Seriously? Also discussed is the issue of anonymization of data, the difference of that concept with pseudonymization, and why Bill C-11 totally fails by mixing up these two concepts under the umbrella of “de-identified” data. Guess what, under Bill C-11, “de-identified” data, whatever that is, can be used indiscriminately by business and can be shared with a third party, provided it is shared with a government-related institution for a “socially beneficial purpose”. What is a socially beneficial purpose? It’s what the government defines it as. Nice.

What’s being done with all of this data that everyone seems to want? It’s going into artificial intelligence (AI). Algorithms will be used on this massive amount of data, so that AI, not humans, can make decisions that affect you as a consumer, like, will you get an insurance policy and how much will your policy cost (if it lets you get one)? Under Bill C-11, a business will tell you if they are making decisions about you based on AI, but only if you ask. What if you object and want a human decision? Too bad. There’s no constitutional right to privacy in Canada, unlike in Europe. Is it time to change that?

So, we stand on the precipice of losing consumer privacy rights in Canada. Do you care? If so, please listen and join us in taking on the fight to defeat Bill C-11. Shame on them.

Lastly, for “told you so”, we discuss the dismissal of the Internet wholesale rate application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Now the CRTC has to reconsider the rates. Wait for it. Again.

Direct link: https://wefightforthat.simplecast.com/episodes/the-epic-battle-for-your-privacy-with-yuka-sai

Rogers-Shaw Deal is Bad Medicine for Consumers

OTTAWA, March 15, 2021 – The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) today expressed serious concern with the announcement by Rogers Communications Inc. (“Rogers”) that it will acquire the business of Shaw Communications Inc. (“Shaw”).

The deal would cover cable TV, Internet and wireless assets. The result would mean fewer wireless competitors in many Canadian markets.

“Canadians will not benefit from having fewer wireless competitors; they will pay more,” said John Lawford, Executive Director and General Counsel of PIAC.

The deal could undo a series of government actions over the last 15 years to promote a fourth national wireless carrier to help bring down cellphone prices in Canada. While Rogers claims it will not raise prices for Shaw’s “Freedom Mobile” wireless customers for three years, the structural shift from four carriers in most Canadian cities to only three will risk reduced competition in the wider cellphone market, as competitive pressure is removed from Rogers, Bell Mobility and TELUS Mobility.
Rogers also promised expansion of rural, indigenous and low-income connectivity programs.

“No amount of short-term sugar will help this medicine go down,” added Lawford. “The real harm to consumers from this deal cannot be wished away by promises to do things these companies should be doing to help the country, anyways.”

For more information, please contact:
John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
(613) 447-8125 ext. 125
(613) 447-8125 (cell)
jlawford@piac.ca