Missed any updates this week? Stay calm. CBC’s Marketplace has gathered essential consumer and health news for you. If you want these updates delivered to your inbox, subscribe to the Marketplace newsletter every Friday.
Marketplace investigated 200 TikTok videos related to cancer and autism, discovering that a significant portion contains misleading information. TikTok has emerged as a popular platform for health advice, but a recent study by Marketplace revealed that most videos promoting cancer and autism treatments lack scientific backing. In their analysis of 100 videos on cancer treatments and another 100 on autism therapies, Marketplace found that over 80% of the remedies presented, garnering over 75 million views, lacked scientific support.
According to Tim Caulfield, a researcher on health misinformation, these videos often gain traction due to compelling personal narratives. The videos scrutinized by Marketplace were predominantly created by individuals without medical expertise, ranging from parents of autistic children to self-proclaimed cancer survivors endorsing specific treatments. Some videos were affiliated with accounts potentially profiting from the promoted therapies.
In another story, Ticketmaster, a prominent online ticket vendor, has committed to cracking down on large-scale scalpers who exploit multiple fake accounts to purchase and resell tickets at inflated prices for various events. This initiative follows a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in response to alleged deceptive ticket resale practices by Ticketmaster and its parent company, LiveNation.
Moreover, a routine oil change at Canadian Tire turned into a hazardous ordeal for Travis Jones after staff used plastic zip ties to secure a critical component of his vehicle. Following the incident, Jones encountered a two-year struggle to seek clarification and resolution from Canadian Tire regarding the improper repair.
For more updates, the Liberals have unveiled plans for a national financial crime agency targeting online scams, while Canada’s inflation rate rose to 2.4% in September, impacting grocery prices. Additionally, Marketplace is seeking input from individuals affected by phone scams and high food costs for potential coverage.
Stay informed by catching up on previous episodes of Marketplace on CBC Gem.