ACCAN recently submitted to the Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society’s inquiry on the influence and impacts of social media on Australian society.

Social media, digital communications services and telecommunications have converged and become ubiquitous in Australian society. Communications policy needs to urgently adapt to the integral role that social media and digital communications services now play, including imposing similar responsibilities and regulatory settings on these digital communications companies as those imposed on the existing telecommunications sector.

ACCAN’s submission recommended that the Australian Government:

• Adopt outstanding recommendations from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s fifth interim report for the Digital Platform Services Inquiry.
• Revise and expand the Telecommunications Industry Levy to ensure that it is technology-neutral and accounts for digital platforms including social media.
• Support the implementation of all 116 recommendations from the Attorney General’s Privacy Act Review.
• Mandate internal dispute resolution for digital platforms including social media.
• Empower the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman to expand its remit to digital platforms including social media.
• Promote targeted competition measures for digital platforms including social media.

Download: ACCAN Submission to Joint Select Com Inquiry on Social Media 2024432.65 KB

Download: ACCAN Submission to Joint Select Com Inquiry on Social Media 20243.96 MB