Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
OTTAWA – The NDP is asking the Competition Bureau to investigate whether Canadian corporate landlords are using the same AI software that prompted an antitrust lawsuit in the United States.
The US Department of Justice filed the lawsuit last month against real estate software company RealPage Inc., accusing it of an illegal scheme that allows landlords to coordinate to raise rent prices.
The lawsuit, filed alongside attorneys general in states including North Carolina and California, alleges the company violates antitrust laws through its algorithm that landlords use to obtain recommended rental prices for millions of apartments across the country.
NDP MPs Alexandre Boulerice and Brian Masse sent a letter to commissioner Matthew Boswell asking the center to launch an investigation into whether Canadian landlords have used the same software, YieldStar.
“Canadians deserve answers to how the use of algorithmic pricing tools contributes to rent increases and how pervasive this practice is across the Canadian rental market,” said the September 10 letter.
Rents in Canada have risen dramatically over the past few years, adding to affordability concerns in the country.
According to the latest report from Rentals.ca and Urbanation, average asking rents in August rose 3.3 per cent from last year – the slowest annual pace in nearly three years – to $2,187.
This report was first published by The Canadian Press on September 20, 2024.
— With files from The Associated Press.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://canadanewsmedia.ca/a-year-into-job-as-hockey-canada-chief-henderson-says-hockey-healthier/
