Virginia Smart

Virginia Smart is an investigative journalist for CBC Marketplace.

Latest from Virginia Smart

Marketplace

Why are Canadians' cellphone bills higher than other countries?

The oft-quoted industry explanations for high wireless prices — costly operating margins and a sparse Canadian population, for example — are insufficient to explain lower prices found in other countries and even between some provinces. Experts say Canada needs to do something about competition before things get worse.
CBC Investigates

COVID-19: Airlines, union say they need more guidance from government on mandatory screening

As of midnight Wednesday, all airlines bound for Canada are required to screen passengers before they board flights. But it's still unclear what those measures will be or how they will be enforced by airline operators.
MARKETPLACE

'This is snake oil': Scientists don't buy balance-boosting clips featured on Dragons' Den

Can a little clip harness the power of a scientific phenomenon known as quantum entanglement and boost your strength and balance? Five of six panellists on CBC's Dragons' Den thought so, at least while the cameras were rolling. Marketplace takes a closer look at a wellness product's bold claims.
MARKETPLACE

How companies use personal data to charge different people different prices for the same product

You know how after browsing online, the ads you see are suddenly about whatever you were looking for? Now a Marketplace investigation reveals it's not just ads that your browsing history affects — it's also the prices you're offered.
MARKETPLACE

'We're designing minds': Industry insider reveals secrets of addictive app trade

The average Canadian teenager is on track to spend nearly a decade of their life staring at a smartphone, and that’s no accident, according to an industry insider who shared time-sucking secrets of the app design trade.
FIFTH ESTATE

Give an alcoholic an hourly drink: Why a controversial Canadian program is catching attention in Australia

A controversial Canadian program that gives a regulated, hourly dose of wine to alcoholics to help manage their addiction and keep them safe has caught the attention of health care researchers in Australia.