Bruce Hyer, NDP MP for Thunder Bay-Superior North, introduced private members’ Bill C-560 today, otherwise known as the “Cellphone Freedom Act”. According to the dedicated site “Don’t Lock My Freedom” there are 3 rules:
- Consumers buying new cell phones in Canada must be informed of the existence of any network lock on their phone before sale.
- Phone companies must unlock handsets upon request, free of charge, when a consumer purchases a new phone outright without a contract, or any time after purchase.
- Phone companies must unlock handsets upon request, free of charge, when a consumer comes to the end of their contract or at any time thereafter.
Hyer said “Mobile phone customers should have the freedom to choose whether they want to be locked into a company’s cell network or not. Right now, most consumers don’t even know they can’t switch to another network without throwing out their phone and buying a new one, or trying to unlock their handset at some expensive aftermarket shop. Many resort to trying to download complicated instructions off the internet, but these can result in dead phones if used improperly.”
The NDP wants your help. You can check out the site here, sign the Petition here and be part of their Facebook group .
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