We fight for that

Geist in the CRTC Machine

December 22, 2023 21:00 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MB

NOTE : apologies for a mistake about what the Broadcasting Act actually says about affordability. Also, please follow Prof. Geist's podcast: Law Bytes . We recap the inaugural appearance of Professor Michael Geist, law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law and is a member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society. Professor Geist was greeted with an incantatory acknowledgment and it just got weirder from there. W...

Post-Rogers-Shaw: A New Hope?

July 24, 2023 13:02 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MB

Well, we are back after a long hiatus (sorry, stuff going on in Canadian communications!) to survey the competitive landscape after the Rogers-Shaw deal closed in Spring of 2023 - two years and 15 days after being announced. We speak with George Burger, Chief Operating Officer, about the Canadian home Internet market post-Rogers-Shaw; why VMedia and Videotron (Quebecor) are a strong independent disrupter outside Québec that will only help consumers, and why the wireless market may just rewa...

A Christmas Scarol - Competition Tribunal on Rogers-Shaw

January 12, 2023 18:57 - 1 hour - 61.9 MB

This episode recounts the dramatic, rapid decision(s) of the Competition Tribunal allowing the merger of Shaw and Rogers (with divestment of Freedom Mobile to Videotron) and why that is weird, appealable, and not a good sign for Canadian wireless and other telecommunications markets. Ben Klass again joins the podcast to give his opinion on the meaning of the decision(s), the appeal, the possible state of the market if the merger proceeds and the weaknesses of Canada's Competition Act and re...

Wireless Wind of Change?

November 07, 2022 18:59 - 1 hour - 67.7 MB

We return to look at the Rogers-Shaw deal and possible different solutions than the divestment of Shaw's wireless business to Videotron (Quebecor) - solutions that might include a "maverick" once and future(?) independent wireless competitor, Globalive, best known as the operator of WIND Mobile before it was sold to Shaw and renamed "Freedom Mobile". Globalive's Simon Lockie joins the podcast to give the inside scoop on a past and future competitor's efforts to start a fourth national wirel...

Bill C-27: Privacy, only worse

September 08, 2022 20:41 - 1 hour - 59.3 MB

We discuss Bill C-27, the Consumer Privacy Protection Act, Personal um, something AI and a tribunal, I think? It does not matter, because the federal government took the last bill ('the other' Bill C-11) to try to replace the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and MADE IT WORSE. Wow. The new Bill C-27 guts consumer privacy by simply abolishing it and replacing it with a regime of business use of consumer information. All done without your knowledge and co...

Black Swan or Red Friday? The Rogers Outage in Context

August 03, 2022 15:25 - 1 hour - 66.3 MB

Black swans, red dawns and consumer pawns. I had a longer summary but the Internet ate it. Not typing this again. Just listen.

CRTC Decision on CBC N-word Complaint

July 19, 2022 14:30 - 1 hour - 67.4 MB

NOTICE TO LISTENERS: THIS EPISODE DISCUSSES A RACIAL SLUR (BUT WE DON'T USE IT) We also note both commenters are racially white and do not pretend to be able to speak to systemic racism, except in general terms and that this episode is not intended, even indirectly, as a collateral attack on the decision's holding. Rather, the CRTC's way of approaching the issue legally and procedurally is what is discussed. Since the recording, the CBC has claimed to appeal the decision, but is also agree...

Fixing Bill C-11 for Consumers - Part 2 with Scott Benzie

June 21, 2022 19:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MB

PIAC discusses Bill C-11 - the "Online Streaming Act" with Scott Benzie of Digital First Canada, a group representing Canadians making user-generated content on social media and related platforms. We discuss PIAC's proposal of "statIc" versus "dynamic" discoverability as a method to reach a compromise between promotion of Canadian content and user-generated content. We also discuss algorithmic platforms and the present environment for digital creators in Canada as well as several scenarios ...

Fixing Bill C-11 for Consumers - Part 1

June 14, 2022 13:37 - 30 minutes - 27.7 MB

PIAC discusses, once again, Bill C-11 - the "Online Streaming Act" which is an Act to Amend the Broadcasting Act, to, among other things, require "Internet broadcasters" to be registered under Canadian law and contribute to the creation of "Canadian content" or more simply, "CanCon". We recap PIAC's appearance before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage at the House of Commons (CHPC) and in particular, detail our idea to "fix" C-11, in particular, the user-generated content issue. We...

De-Crypting Cryptocurrencies for Consumers

May 04, 2022 14:16 - 1 hour - 61.6 MB

Guarav Arora, University of Ottawa Master's student in the law department and recent tech law intern at PIAC, sits down to describe, and in some cases to defend against the host, cryptocurrencies (and blockchain and distributed ledger technologies in general) and their derivative products like non-fungible tokens (NFTs), stablecoins, initial coin offerings (ICOs), decentralized finance (de-fi), distributed autonomous organizations (DAOs), smart contracts, and the coming metaverse and its rel...

Clearing Communications Consumers Complaints: CCTS with Howard Maker

April 07, 2022 15:59 - 1 hour - 58.7 MB

We interview Howard Maker, Commissioner of the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) about the Canadian ombudsman service that helps Canadians - for free - to resolve their consumer complaints with Internet, wireless (cellphones), home phone and paid TV services. You never heard of the CCTS? You should get acquainted because they just may get your money back. But it's not quite that easy, and we ask Howard to describe the challenges of being an independent agency...

CRTC Bad Series: What's the Hold Up? with Geoff White

March 31, 2022 13:51 - 1 hour - 59.4 MB

In this first of several podcasts on troubles with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), we concentrate on the CRTC's egregious slowness in both running regulatory proceedings (both broadcasting and telecommunications) and in releasing its decisions after these proceedings - all of which can take years. During this time, the smaller, or more vulnerable, less powerful parties, such as small competitors, consumers, politicians and the public are disadvantaged...

The Promotion of Competition

February 19, 2022 20:00 - 54 minutes - 50.1 MB

Competition in Canada is enforced by the Competition Bureau of Canada. In this episode, we discuss all things competition in Canada and how it can be promoted with Anthony Durocher, Deputy Commissioner, Competition Promotion Branch at the Competition Bureau of Canada. First up, possible reform of the Competition Act and the Competition Bureau's submission to Senator Howard Wetston's review. Next, we hear about two consumer-centric, proactive campaigns by the Bureau upcoming next week and ...

Investment Complaints: OBSI is your one-stop shop

February 11, 2022 21:00 - 1 hour - 56 MB

Sarah Bradley, the Ombudsman and CEO of the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) discusses how OBSI can help consumers resolve investment disputes in Canada. OBSI (https://www.obsi.ca/) is the single independent ombudsman service if you cannot resolve your complaint with your investment company or investment adviser. OBSI's services are free to consumers. We discuss the scope of OBSI's services and the limitations on their potential monetary awards to consumers, limitatio...

Banking Complaints: Roadmap or roadkill?

February 04, 2022 22:15 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MB

PIAC's articling student, Rene Kimmett, guests on this episode to explain how consumers can complain about banking services to their own financial institution and to third-party resolution services - yes, there are two "external complaints bodies" in Canada - OBSI and ADRBO. No need for that - which we get into. The Federal Department of Finance and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) are presently implementing improvements to the internal complaints system inside banks, but we s...

Where would you like these lumps of coal?

December 23, 2021 19:04 - 22 minutes - 20.8 MB

This episode recaps the major consumer set-backs of 2021, which, during a pandemic, are inexcusable. We cover three terrible CRTC decisions that will make your wireless phone and home Internet connections much more expensive. We cover a mega-merger that will raise prices and reduce choice. We recap the airline refund fiasco and finish up with banking problems and a warning about crypto-assets. Fun fun fun. See you next year!

C-10: The Legal Issues - Online Conference Preview

October 19, 2021 20:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MB

Returning champ Monica Auer visits to preview PIAC and FRPC's online conference, "C-10: The Legal Issues". Please register for this free webinar on Wednesday, November 3, 2021 from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm ET More information and registeration are found here: https://www.piac.ca/2021/10/19/c-10-the-legal-issues/ We discuss the scope and definition of "broadcasting" under the Broadcasting Act and former Bill C-10, which the re-elected minority government has vowed to move through Parliament in ...

SIM-swap Hide and Seek with Randall Baran-Chong

August 04, 2021 14:39 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MB

We explore the Canadian wireless industry's best-kept secret (with CRTC help): their problem with SIM-swap fraud! Randall Baran-Chong, Co-Founder of Canadian SIM-swap Victims United (CSSVU) joins PIAC to explain his personal experience with fraudsters switching his cell service to a new SIM-card (twice!) and his advocacy for victims before the CRTC, the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology (INDU), in the media and with politicians. John Lawford, PIAC Executive Director and...

The Internet Affordability Revolution will not be Subsidized with Shelley Robinson

June 24, 2021 23:59 - 48 minutes - 44.9 MB

The CRTC's recent reversal of its wholesale internet rates decision will impede small non-profit Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Ottawa's community-centred National Capital Freenet (NCF). Shelley Robinson, NCF's Executive Director, joins PIAC's ED John Lawford to break down the CRTC's increase in rates and how it will impede NCF's desires to offer its "Community Access Fund" and low-cost connectivity at basic service speeds (50 Mbps download / 10 Mbps upload) to its qualifying cus...

Whole lotta wholesale with Andy Kaplan-Myrth

June 10, 2021 21:09 - 1 hour - 67.2 MB

We discuss the CRTC's disastrous decision on wholesale internet rates from late May 2021 with Andy Kaplan-Myrth, VP Regulatory of Teksavvy, a well-established wholesale-based Internet service provider and its effect on Teksavvy, other wholesale-based ISPs, the market, consumers, the rest of the industry and even the CRTC itself. We spend a full hour and a half (sorry) to get way into the history and actual details of the rate set by the CRTC - details that usually are not reported on or dis...

Airline Bailouts = Consumer Refunds! We won! with Tahira Dawood

May 03, 2021 14:20 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MB

Consumers in Canada are now eligible for refunds for flights cancelled due to COVID-19 from two airlines and more are likely to be added soon. Our guest this episode is Tahira Dawood, PIAC's second articling student and former researcher at PIAC (and she is also a foreign-qualified lawyer and worked in the aviation industry!). We break down the airline bailouts at Air Canada and Air Transat, and what consumers must do and by when to get their money back and how to apply for these refunds an...

Klass Consciousness: CRTC MVNO decision, telecom socialism & Shaw-Rogers deal with Ben Klass

April 27, 2021 15:19 - 1 hour - 71.1 MB

Will the CRTC's recent decision on mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) provide new wireless competition in Canada? We discuss this in excruciating detail with Ben Klass, PhD Candidate and telecom policy wunderkind. The answer: not likely, sorry. This likely result leads the conversation to frustrations with Canadian telecom regulation of competition, including wholesale rates that end up affecting how many competitors consumers have to choose from and how much they charge for cellphone...

Rogers-Shaw Merger - Part 2 - Discussion with Konrad von Finckenstein

April 16, 2021 01:05 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MB

John Lawford, PIAC's Executive Director and General Counsel welcomes special guest Konrad von Finckenstein, PIAC's current Chair of the Board, to work through options the Competition Bureau, the CRTC and the Industry Minister could have to modify the deal to preserve at least some competition. In a spirited conversation, Mr. Lawford attempts to outline consumer frustration with the process and the deal, while Mr. von Finckenstein calmly discusses the cold, hard calculations in the regulator...

Rogers-Shaw Merger - Part 1: Anatomy of a Merger

April 16, 2021 00:42 - 41 minutes - 38.5 MB

John Lawford, PIAC's Executive Director and General Counsel, explains merger review in Canada in light of the proposed Rogers-Shaw merger. What fun. Competition law basics are described but the real process of applying them to a deal by the Competition Bureau and the parties is covered, along with the roles of the CRTC and the Minister of Innovation Science and Industry in the Department of Industry, Science and Economic Development (ISED). This convoluted process has previously resulted i...

The Epic Battle for Your Privacy with Yuka Sai

March 16, 2021 00:56 - 1 hour - 56.7 MB

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 pe...

Broadcasting and Why it Matters to You with Monica Auer

December 24, 2020 14:33 - 1 hour - 66 MB

The CanCon is coming! The CanCon is coming! Or not. Today we discuss Bill C-10, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts, phew! Today's guest Monica Auer, Executive Director of Canada’s Forum for Research and Policy in Communications (FRPC) strives mightily to explain broadcasting regulation in Canada and how the federal government wants to change it. What could go wrong? Turns out a lot, if you hurry to do it, have a very specifi...

What the heck is wholesale with Matt Stein

November 02, 2020 14:50 - 57 minutes - 53.1 MB

Wholesale regulation of Internet (and wireless, maybe?) is fundamental to competition in Canadian telecommunications services. We give a short lecture on the concept and then interview Matt Stein, CNOC President and Chairman, and Distributel CEO, to bring listeners up to date on recent disputes about wholesale rates for Internet service and how this arcane regulatory question affects the price consumers pay for Internet as well as the choice of providers and innovation in the industry. Matt...

Mystery Shopping with Marina Pavlovic - Your Internet Mileage May Vary - Mea culpa COVID appa

October 15, 2020 20:53 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MB

We interview Marina Pavlovic, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section at the University of Ottawa and member of its Centre for Law, Technology and Society about the CRTC's recent "mystery shop" of communications services in Canada. We also talk about another CRTC report claiming Canadians get all the speed they need from Internet services in Canada. And we fall on our own sword (sort of), explaining why we want CRTC to outline some rules for the COVID Alert app - becaus...

Intro to PIAC - Am I Going Crazy? - PIAC's COVID Alert app CRTC Application explained

September 11, 2020 19:00 - 37 minutes - 34.8 MB

"We fight for that" - is the new podcast from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) focussing on consumer protection in Canada. This first episode includes an introduction to PIAC, asking and answering why you, as a Canadian consumer, keep asking "Am I Going Crazy?" when you have a problem with your purchases and subscriptions; and a detailed explanation of PIAC's COVID Alert app CRTC Application, that seeks to limit government access to any personal information from contact-tracing in...

Trailer: We fight for that.

September 11, 2020 18:17 - 34 seconds - 596 KB

Consumer protection news, advocacy and information in Canada from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).

Episodes