Thank you, Sylvain.

Thank you, Chair and distinguished committee members. I am Samantha Taylor, and I am here to offer insights about financial technology, social influence and food security.

Buy now, pay later, or BNPL, is becoming increasingly popular in Canada, offered through platforms like Apple Pay and Klarna. It appears that current regulations do not prevent consumers from using such mechanisms to purchase food. With these additional credit offerings, Canadians may be inadvertently increasing their consumer debt.

To address this, I recommend introducing regulations to prevent the use of BNPL for food items and, possibly, restaurant purchases either directly or indirectly through third-party platforms.

Next, I'd like to discuss social media influencers and their effect on consumer behaviour and perception of food security.

Campaigns by influencers, even with positive intent, can lead to price volatility or encourage illegal activities like shoplifting.

Further, generation Z and millennials are more likely to consume news online, especially via social media, as compared to older generations. Notably, generation Z is just as likely to trust news from social media and professional journalists versus older generations who prefer professional journalism. To counteract this, I propose exploring user verification measures for social media platforms operating in Canada. This could prevent autonomous accounts, or bots, which can drive misinformation campaigns.

Additionally, I recommend that agencies like the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada consider mobilizing their content via social media to meet younger Canadians where they are.

Lastly, a greater number of Canadian consumers are ordering and paying for groceries online. I recommend considering the introduction of restrictions against online grocers saving consumer credit card information to protect them from data breaches.

By proactively addressing these technological and financial risks, we can better support Canadian consumers in managing their finances and ensuring stable access to food.

I look forward to discussing these recommendations in detail.

Thank you.