ACCAN is acutely aware of the low labour market participation for Australians living with disability. Our research in the area of inclusive information and communications technologies indicates that accessible ICT can overcome many of the barriers to employment faced by people with disability.
Many apps improve our life – we can get directions in a strange city, play Scrabble with friends on another continent or access app-exclusive content for our favourite magazine. Still, consumers need better information about how apps use personal information or structure in-app purchases.
NBN Co’s Special Access Undertaking (SAU) is an important document containing promises from NBN Co about how it will allow access to its network and what services it will offer to telecommunications providers.
ACCAN represents consumer interests on the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) Closed-Caption Committee, which has provided advice on developing a standard for quality closed captions on Australian television.
ACCAN applauds the Australian Government for its recognition of the importance closed captions play in providing meaningful access to television for many Australian consumers.
Read more: ACCAN submission to ACMA draft standard on closed-caption quality
Government agencies, telcos, banks and finance companies all collect information from customers in order to identify them. This means that an individual’s personal identity information is kept separately on file by each agency. From a consumer perspective, it means that each time we open an account with, for example, a bank or a telco who we haven’t done business with before, we have to undergo an identity check to prove that we are who we say we are.
ACCAN has made a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission arguing that copyright law needs to be made fairer and easier for consumers to understand.
For nearly a decade, reports on global roaming have shown that roaming rates are excessively high. ACCAN urges the Australian and New Zealand governments to take action to reduce the high prices consumers pay to use their mobile phone while visiting their closest international neighbour.
Read more: Trans-Tasman Roaming: Response to the Draft Report
In this submission by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, ACCAN comments on two specific issues that may have a direct impact on affordable and accessible telecommunications services.
Read more: Inquiry into potential reforms of National Security Legislation
In our submission to this Inquiry into Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012, ACCAN has raised a number of concerns regarding credit reporting arrangements, relay services and cross-border disclosure arrangements.
Read more: Inquiry into the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012
In this submission ACCAN provides comment on the system that accredits and regulates domain name registrars and resellers in Australia.
Read more: Accreditation and Regulation of Domain Name Registries and Resellers
In this submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012, ACCAN comments on some aspects of the Credit Reporting Schedule and makes recommendations regarding how privacy matters should be handled.
Read more: Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Protection) Bill 2012