Madam Speaker, we know that since the government was elected in 2015 tech giants have tripled their lobbying efforts. Google and Facebook account for half of the increase in terms of the lobbying efforts. We know privacy rights are an important part of life, especially in the digital age. However, when they are violated, individuals need to be compensated.
During the government's time in office, there have been many data breaches, including at Equifax. In the United States, victims of the Equifax data breach were compensated $425 million as part of the settlement. In Canada, for the same breach, consumers were not awarded anything.
This bill has no provisions to take notice of settlements in the United States to ensure there is parity in the treatment of victims on either side of the border. Should this bill be amended to make sure Canadians are treated equally for the same violation that is happening in the United States?