Disclosure in an internet era

I have been shopping for a new car for some time now. My kids don’t find my [not quite antique] car to be as amusing as I do. Do you really need an inside mirror? Air conditioning? A left turn signal that shuts itself off? Brakes?

So I have been doing a lot of internet research on various possibilities for a replacement. I get a lot of basic information from the company websites, but I get even more insights from third parties.

Whether it is consumer reporting websites, car magazine websites, or others, you can get all sorts of information about the performance and reliability of different cars. I notice that the manufacturers don’t provide all the details about the kind of paint or electroplating techniques being used – which some people would consider to be important for understanding whether the car will rust prematurely.

Actually, there are all sorts of details about the car that aren’t shown.

I go to the alternate sites because the level of detail that the collective wisdom of the internet provides contributes to my informed purchase decision.

I am saying all of this because of the amount of disclosure that some people are seeking for internet service providers to provide to customers.

There are all sorts of websites that provide continuous reviews of ISPs from around the world. There are quite a number that have sections about each of the Canadian ISPs.

In a competitive market, how much disclosure should the regulator require versus that which is available in the marketplace?