Reading: 5.3 Consumer Protection Laws and Standards
| Category | Why | When | Where/Who | Examples |
| Product Safety | Consumer Protection and Transparency | Manufacturing, Importation, Testing and Quality Control | Canada Consumer Product Safety Act (Health Canada) | Are imported products compliant? Includes recalls, bans on unsafe products, and mandatory incident reporting for manufacturers/importers. |
| Labelling | Consumer Protection and Transparency | Creating or Selling a brand or product | Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act (Health Canada) | Packaging must disclose ingredients, nutrition facts, origin, weights and quantities. Recent updates align with digital disclosure and bilingual requirements. |
| Vehicle Safety | Consumer Protection and Safety Standards | Regulates minimum safety standards for vehicles | Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Transport Canada) | Seat belts, airbags, electronic stability, and fuel efficiency. New EV battery and autonomous vehicle safety requirements under 2023–24 amendments. |
| Food and Drug Safety | Consumer Protection and Transparency | Regulates and monitors the sale of food, drugs, natural health products, and cosmetics | Food and Drugs Act and Food and Drug Regulations (Health Canada & CFIA) | New nutrition labelling rules, cannabis edibles regulation, and veterinary drug oversight. Wellness products require licensing before marketing. |
| Clothing & Textile Safety | Consumer Protection and Transparency | Regulates fibre content, labelling, and flammability of textiles | Textile Labelling Act (Competition Bureau) | Marketing clothing must disclose fibre composition. Random inspections ensure accuracy and prevent misleading origin or quality claims. |
| Marketing Fraud | Consumer Protection | Regulates false, misleading or deceptive marketing practices | Competition Act (Competition Bureau) | Recent updates empower stronger enforcement against “greenwashing,” drip pricing, influencer marketing without disclosure, and deceptive digital ads. |
| Marketing to Children | Unique challenges for digital engagement with youth | Guardians and parental consent required for minors | PIPEDA (current), Bill C-27 (proposed CPPA), and CMA Code of Ethics | Under OPC guidance, children under 13 cannot give meaningful consent. Rules apply to gaming apps, social media platforms, and AI-driven ads to minors. |
| Financial Products | Consumer and Investor Protection | Disclosure standards and fair selling practices | Financial Consumer Agency of Canada Act (FCAC) | Supervises banks, lenders, and insurers. Requires clear disclosure of credit card rates, mortgage terms, and complaint handling. Stronger oversight of fintech and BNPL products since 2022. |
Creation note: This content was updated with the assistance of ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI, and was subsequently reviewed and edited by the author for clarity and accuracy.
