ACCC Report on Social Media Services Issues Paper

Details

ACCAN recently submitted feedback to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) regarding an issues paper for its March 2023 Report on Social Media Services. The issues paper will inform the ACCC’s sixth interim report for the Digital Platform Services Inquiry. ACCAN’s submission urged the need for regulatory reform to ensure that Australian consumers continue to enjoy the benefits from social media platforms while reducing their harms.

ACCAN’s submission outlined our support for:

  • Mechanisms to reduce harms to consumers from scams on social media
  • The introduction of a prohibition on unfair trading practices into Australian Consumer Law
  • Requirements for social media platforms to provide fair menus and interfaces overseen by a well-resourced and capable regulator
  • Measures to provide consumers with transparency mechanisms in effective and accessible ways
  • The development of Internal Dispute Resolution standards for social media platforms
  • The establishment of an independent digital platforms ombudsman scheme
  • Obligations on digital platforms to foster meaningful interoperability and data portability
  • Equitable access to social media through both apps and web browsers
  • Consultation with remote Aboriginal communities to provide safety controls for social media platforms


ACCAN also called for a funded consumer voice in the digital platforms space.

Download:  docxACCC DPSI September Interim Report854.26 KB

Download:  pdfACCC DPSI September Interim Report387.17 KB