M-16 Telecommunications principles

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should ensure that telecommunications services remain a tool for social, democratic, economic, and cultural growth by mandating government frameworks overseeing digital telecommunication services in Canada to abide by the following principles: (a) access to universal telecommunication services across Canada must be efficient and affordable for Canadians; (b) fees for access to services must be transparent so that Canadians can easily understand the charges they incur; (c) security must be a core responsibility for telecommunications service providers, affirming that the collection of personal information in the digital space includes a duty to proactively protect personal information and that a failure to meet a reasonable standard of due diligence constitutes negligence; (d) cybersecurity must be a continuous focus that prioritizes protecting Canadians from foreign or domestic cyber-attacks that compromise public safety, financial security, personal information, and our democracy; (e) judicial oversight governing surveillance, site-blocking, or disconnection is required; (f) net neutrality must be a legislated and regulated core principle for provision of digital services; (g) privacy rights in the digital world must be equivalent to those in the physical world, so that full informed consent must be stipulated prior to the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by private or public organizations; (h) personal data must be controlled by the individual to whom the data belongs; (i) Health Canada and any other appropriate federal departments must be provided the opportunity to study potential human or environmental impacts related to digital services and products and the disposal thereof in the Canadian market; (j) businesses operating in the digital industry must not undermine consumer rights through non-negotiated contracts and have a duty to be transparent regarding the maintenance of devices; (k) Canadians of all ages must be provided opportunities to develop digital literacy skills with a specific focus on children and seniors; (l) the internet must be free from cyber-bullying or harassment; and (m) open data frameworks must be consistent with recognized best practices that protect privacy and create greater transparency and accountability while helping to improve public sector service delivery.