OpenMedia releases pro-Internet policy platform ahead of federal election

Platform lists the policies needed to ensure Canada has an open, affordable and surveillance-free Internet

September 10, 2019— OpenMedia has released a pro-Internet platform to encourage federal election candidates to adopt policies that would ensure Canada has an open, affordable and surveillance-free Internet. The platform was created using crowd-sourced priorities from the OpenMedia community in consultation with policy experts. 

“From cell phone unaffordability to attacks on encryption, Canada’s next government’s policies will shape what the Internet will look like for the next decade,” said Laura Tribe, Executive Director of OpenMedia. “That’s why it’s important that we know what policies the parties are promising this election. A number of critical issues are up for debate, and these decisions will have a lasting impact. OpenMedia is working to ensure that every voter has the ability to directly engage with their local candidates, and make it clear that the Internet is an issue at the ballot box this election.”

Already, three of the four major parties – the Liberals, NDP and Greens – have made statements prioritizing cell phone affordability, which is a major part of Internet accessibility. This cross-party consensus demonstrates that there is a voter appetite for greater affordability in the Internet and cell phone market, and these are mainstream issues.

To encourage individuals to participate in this election cycle and ask candidates to stand up for pro-Internet policies, alongside its election platform, OpenMedia has launched a digital campaign allowing people across the country to directly contact their local candidates asking for their positions on Internet-related issues. Almost 1,800 people have already sent messages to their candidates detailing why the Internet matters to them using OpenMedia’s platform at https://openmedia.org/en/voting-for-the-internet.