Submissions


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ACCAN has provided feedback in response to the ACCC’s Issues Paper on the expanding ecosystems of digital platform service providers. The Issues Paper explores a range of questions related to digital platform ecosystems, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and consumer cloud services in Australia. ACCAN’s submission:

ACCAN has responded to the ACCC’s consultation on its Draft Instrument for the Superfast Broadband Access Service (SBAS) Final Access Determination. The SBAS is a declared wholesale access service that retail service providers can use to supply fixed line superfast broadband services to end users.

ACCAN supports the draft instrument which:

ACCAN recently submitted to the Office for Women consultation on the National Strategy to Achieve Gender Equality (the strategy). In our submission we recommended the Office for Women consider gendered violence arising from technology-facilitated abuse as a vital component of the strategy.

ACCAN responded to the Government’s 2023 Privacy Act consultation. The consultation report offered a number of proposals resulting from the 2022 Privacy Act Review consultation.

in general, ACCAN was pleased with the majority of the proposals in the report.

ACCAN has responded to the Federal Government’s thematic review of the Customer Service Guarantee (CSG). The CSG is an important consumer protection as it requires telecommunications service providers to connect and fix landline services within specified time frames.

ACCAN recently submitted to the ACMA’s consultation on its compliance priorities for 2023–24. ACCAN has identified several areas the ACMA should consider when developing its compliance priorities for 2023-24. These areas include:

ACCAN recently commented on the Consolidated Industry Codes of Practice for the Online Industry (Class 1A and Class 1B Material).

ACCAN’s submission outlined our concerns regarding the lack of clarity around dispute resolution and redress processes in the draft Codes. The eSafety Commission should be explicitly included as an avenue for consumers to appeal decisions made under the codes and minimise consumer harm from incorrect decisions.

ACCAN recently submitted to Communications Alliance’s consultation on DR C540:2023 Local Number Portability. 

ACCAN supports measures to make it easier for consumers to switch between service providers while keeping their phone number. In our submission we urged the telecommunications sector to progress investments to modernise Australia’s number porting infrastructure. Modern number porting infrastructure would facilitate competition and bring consumers’ experiences in line with their expectations.

ACCAN has recently submitted to the Parliament of Australia’s Senate Select Committee on the Cost of Living. ACCAN’s submission outlined the impact of the increasing cost of broadband services on consumers, and how consumers have adapted to these rising costs. Small increases to the cost of telecommunications services can have a significant detrimental impact on the financial wellbeing of low-income consumers.

ACCAN recommends addressing the increasing cost of telecommunications by establishing:

ACCAN recently commented on the scheduled review of Customer Authorisation (CA) Industry Guideline (G651:2017) (the Guideline). ACCAN’s submission highlights that the protection of the rights and interests of telecommunications Customers is inhibited in the Guideline, by a lack of clarity on the CA transfer process, the limited guidance on the use of cancellation fees, and the inaccessibility of CA information for people with disability.

ACCAN’s submission addresses these concerns by proposing seven amendments to the Guideline:

ACCAN recently submitted to The Treasury’s Inquiry into the Treasury Laws Amendment (Consumer Data Right) Bill 2022 Consultation.

ACCAN supports amending the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (CCA) to extend the Consumer Data Right (CDR) framework to enable action initiation. Extending the CCA to cover action initiation through an Accredited Action Initiator (AAI) may provide significant benefits to consumers.

ACCAN recently submitted to the Senate Standing Committees on Economics’ consultation on the Influence of International Digital Platforms.

Our submission identified the harms consumers face when interacting with digital platforms, including social networking scams and a lack of complaint redress. ACCAN recommends: