moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑288, An Act to enact the Protection Against Online Fraud Act and to amend the Criminal Code.
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are being robbed at home on their keyboards, and the platforms where it is happening are profiting from the traffic. Today, I introduce the protection against online fraud act.
In 2024, Canadians reported $643 million stolen through fraud. That is nearly 300% more than in 2020 and about 5% or 10% of what is actually happening. These are seniors losing their retirements and families losing their homes. It is happening to people in every riding right across the country. AI is making scams faster, cheaper and nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
The platforms hosting the content know it is there, and the bill would hold them accountable. It would require digital platforms to actively remove fraudulent content. It would require them to notify users who have already been exposed. It would add a Criminal Code aggravating factor when scammers deliberately target the most vulnerable people, such as with a grandmother's life savings. That is not even fraud. It is predatory.
The U.S., Australia, the EU and the U.K. have already moved on this. Canada cannot be the last one at the table. We regulate what happens on our streets. It is long past time we regulate for the people who are getting scammed online, so I urge members of this House to support this piece of legislation.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)