Canada’s government is facing an enormous task when it comes to regulating Apple’s new smartwatch.
The tech giant has announced it will start accepting payments in Canada on Jan. 1, a move that will likely spur more Apple-Canada transactions.
“It will be a huge boon for consumers, retailers, and companies that want to take advantage of this market, especially for small businesses,” Canadian International Development Agency Chief Economist David Macdonald said in a statement.
“It is clear that this will provide a huge opportunity for Canadians to access the products that are most important to them.”
The launch comes amid an industry-wide crackdown on counterfeit Apple products, a trend that has led to more than 1,400 arrests of counterfeiters, and the company has been under pressure to fix a long-standing problem in Canada.
In January, the government issued a decree that requires manufacturers to stop selling counterfeit Apple watches and other products in Canada unless they are made from materials certified by Apple.
The country has been at the forefront of regulating and policing smartwatches, and some observers believe that the government could be poised to step in to help prevent fraud in Canada as well.
The Apple Watch will feature a camera sensor and a small 3D display that allows users to quickly take pictures or videos of their surroundings.
The watch will be able to detect a specific person’s face and identify their location.
This can then be used to make payments in the country.
Macdonald noted that the watch will allow consumers to track their whereabouts by simply taking a photo or video of their home, and would be able track a person’s whereabouts through their smartphone, allowing them to track purchases in real-time.
Apple has also announced a partnership with Google to allow Canadian shoppers to pay for purchases using their Google account.
The Google app will let people pay for products on their Google watch by scanning a QR code, which will then be sent to the retailer’s mobile phone.
“The new Apple Watch is a game changer for the Canadian retail industry and a massive step forward in the global digital payments landscape,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in the announcement.
“This groundbreaking new product brings innovation to the digital payments space and opens up a new level of convenience and convenience for Canadians, helping us make shopping more affordable.”