Cell Phone Freedom Act
The Cell Phone Freedom Act (formally An Act respecting the locking of cellular telephones) was a private member's bill proposed twice to the Parliament of Canada which would have required mobile phone providers remove the SIM lock from devices once a customer reaches the end of their contract. It was first introduced on June 17, 2010 in the House of Commons of Canada as Bill C-560 by Bruce Hyer, then the New Democratic Party Small Business Critic and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Superior North. Bill C-560 was expired due to the government's defeat in March 2011. Hyer reintroduced the Cell Phone Freedom Act under the new session of parliament on November 3, 2011, as Bill C-343. Provisions The Cell Phone Freedom Act, if passed, would have mandated that: consumers buying new cell phones in Canada must be informed of the existence of any SIM lock (also known as a network lock) on their phone before sale; wireless phone companies must unlock handsets upon request, without fee, when a consumer purchases a new phone outright (unsubsidized) without a contract; wireless phone companies must unlock handsets upon request, without fee, when a consumer comes to the end of their contract, or