May 2023

Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA)

May 2023

In this edition of Consumer Edge, check out our updated Vehicle Lease or Loan Calculator, get cyber security tips for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, and read Union des consommateurs' research report on the potential end of wireline telephone services in Canada.

Updates to the OCA's Vehicle Lease or Loan Calculator

The Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA) and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) have collaborated to update the Vehicle Lease or Loan Calculator. The tool is available now to help you compare the costs of leasing a vehicle or obtaining a loan to buy one.

In addition to its comparative capabilities, the Calculator includes useful definitions and information to help you make informed decisions when choosing between leasing a vehicle or obtaining a loan to purchase one.

Still not sure where to start? Consult the "Tips" section of the tool for things to keep in mind when weighing your options.

World Telecommunication and Information Society Day

May 17 is World Telecommunication and Information Society Day! The day of observance highlights the opportunities that the Internet, along with other information and communication technologies, can bring to modern societies and the theme for this year's campaign is digital technologies for older persons and healthy ageing.

To mark the occasion, Get Cyber Safe is sharing tips on how older adults can use social media safely so they can learn what precautions to take to protect themselves and their accounts in order to navigate social media with peace of mind.

Share Get Cyber Safe's tips with your friends and family and learn more about the other resources being shared for World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on the United Nations website.

Union des consommateurs (UC) on the potential end of wireline telephone services in Canada

As more and more Canadian households are choosing to discontinue their wireline services, and several providers are replacing their wireline network with fibre optics, UC examines the impacts this change will have on Canadian consumers, especially vulnerable members of our society.

Read the report to discover UC's recommendations to policy makers and the implications for telephone service providers regarding termination practices for wireline telephony services in Canada.

UC received funding from the OCA's Contributions Program for Non-Profit Consumer and Voluntary Organizations to complete this research and produce the associated report.

You can discover other research reports for projects funded by the OCA's Program in the Consumer Policy Research Database.

Consumer news spotlight:

Find more consumer-related information from the Government of Canada on the News for consumers page.