Consumers Council of Canada has been granted funding by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) to research and recommend practical guidelines for understandable and usable online agreements.
CIRA manages the .CA domain and also has a mandate to carry out other activities that support the Internet in Canada. Earlier this year, CIRA launched a Community Investment Program (CIP), to provide funding to community groups, not-for-profits and academic institutions for projects they could demonstrate would enhance the Internet for the benefit of all Canadians. Just over $1 million was earmarked for the first edition of the CIP.
Consumers Council of Canada is one of 28 organizations to receive funding in the first edition of the CIP, from among 149 applicants. These funds will be used to develop practical guidelines for the display of findable, usable and relevant online agreements (i.e., End User License Agreement, Terms of Use/Service, Privacy Policy) to improve understanding by Canadian consumers of increasingly important terms and conditions and privacy considerations, expanding the trust required for a healthy, sustainable Internet environment.
“The Council thanks CIRA for recognizing how important our project is to Canadian consumers,” said Aubrey LeBlanc, Council President “We will put these funds to good use and welcome the opportunity to work with CIRA again in the future on initiatives that allow Canadians to safely make use of the Internet. Consumers have embraced use of the Internet as part of daily life.”
“The enthusiastic response we saw from applicants across the country is evidence of CIRA’s long-standing conviction that the Internet has become a critical daily tool in the lives of all Canadians,” said Byron Holland, CEO of CIRA. “Our selection committee faced a difficult task to review and choose from among 149 applications, representing just under $8 million in requests. I want to personally congratulate Consumers Council of Canada as one of our first funding recipients.”
About the Consumers Council of Canada
The Consumers Council of Canada works collaboratively with consumers, business and government in support of consumers’ rights and responsibilities, seeking an efficient, equitable, effective and safe marketplace for consumers. The Council is a member of the Canadian Consumer Initiative.
The Council advocates for the charter of International Consumer Rights, to which it has added a ninth, the Right to Privacy, and they include:
- The right to safety.
- The right to choose.
- The right to be heard.
- The right to be informed.
- The right to consumer education.
- The right to consumer redress.
- The right to a healthy environment.
- The right to basic needs.
- The right to privacy.
The Council may be contacted through this website.
About CIRA
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) manages the .CA top-level domain, Canada’s online identifier, on behalf of all Canadians. A Member-driven organization, CIRA also facilitates the development of a better Internet for all Canadians, and represents the .CA registry internationally.
To learn more about the CIP and to arrange interviews with CIRA, please contact:
Leo Valiquette
inmedia Public Relations
(613) 769-9479