ACCAN recently submitted to the telco regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), on regulations that allow the ACMA to issue infringement notices (fines) when telcos don’t follow certain rules. ACCAN’s submission supported the remaking of the rules, and suggested changes to improve consumer safeguards and the way in which infringement notices are issued.

ACCAN has recently outlined our views on priorities that need to be addressed in the Federal Government’s upcoming 2022-2023 Budget. Our Pre-Budget Submission for 2022-2023 identifies a need for Federal investment in issues relating to the affordability, availability, reliability, and accessibility of communications goods and services.

ACCAN’s Indigenous Steering Committee recently submitted to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs’ Inquiry into how the corporate sector establishes models of best practice to foster better engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers. The Chair of ACCAN’s Indigenous Steering Committee, Dr Heron Loban, and ACCAN’s Director of Policy, Una Lawrence, subsequently appeared at one of the Inquiry’s public hearings to expand on comments made in the submission.

ACCAN recently made a submission to the Attorney-General’s second round consultation on Australia’s Privacy Act (1988). The discussion paper made a number of proposals developed in consideration of the feedback to the first round of consultation in late 2020. ACCAN had made a comprehensive submission to this first round, and we were pleased to see that many of the proposals put forward in the second round positively reflected our positions.

ACCAN has recently made a submission to the House Select Committee on Social media and Online Safety.

In our submission we acknowledged the need for greater community protections from unwanted and unexpected harms resulting from Australian’s growing use of digital platforms. We highlighted the need for strong community representation in policy decisions relating to digital platforms.

Our November 2021 Digital Platforms research informed our position and our recommendations for the Committee’s consideration.

Recently, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) requested comment on a Ministerial Instrument which will help telecommunications providers to properly authenticate their customers and protect consumers against fraudulent activity and misuse of their telco accounts.

ACCAN recently made a submission to the Attorney General’s consultation on the Online Privacy Bill Exposure Draft.

ACCAN supports the implementation of online privacy protections and was pleased to see the following initiatives have been included in the Bill,