ACCAN 2022 CommsDay Congress Speech
Andrew Williams – Acting CEO

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY

Good morning,

Before I begin today, I’d like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we meet today, the Peoples of the Kulin Nation. I also pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

For those who don’t know me I’ve been with the organisation for just under three years now, initially as Director of Operations and Deputy CEO role, and moved into this role when Teresa Corbin departed last October.

After more than two years of zoom and teams meetings it’s great to be here in person and see some familiar faces in 3D for the first time.

My ACCAN journey has provided a great opportunity to gain an understanding of the myriad issues in this space and I’m committed to our ongoing mission of ensuring that communications services are trusted, inclusive, and available for all.

As many of you are no doubt aware, for many years ACCAN has represented consumers on a wide range of issues which are encapsulated in our priorities:

• Increased reliability
• Improved accessibility
• A fairer telco market
• Affordable telecommunications
• Better infrastructure
• Growing consumer confidence

Read more: ACCAN 2022 CommsDay Congress Speech

Disinformation and misinformation are not new trends; digital content that is verifiably false, misleading, or deceptive has been around for almost as long as the internet has existed. However, over the last few years, we’ve seen growing awareness about the harms that disinformation and misinformation can cause to individuals and to trust in our systems.

After the ACCC’s Digital Platform Inquiry report was handed down in December 2019, the Australian Government asked digital platforms to develop a voluntary code of practice to help to address disinformation and misinformation.

In February 2021, DIGI, the non-profit industry association advocating for the digital industry in Australia, released The Australian Code of Practice on Disinformation and Misinformation. Digital platforms that sign up to this Code agree to abide by a set of rules, including publishing and implementing policies on misinformation and disinformation, providing users with a way to report content against those policies, and implementing a range of measures to reduce the spread and visibility of mis- and disinformation. They must also produce annual transparency reports about these efforts.

Read more: Disinformation and Misinformation on Digital Platforms

Planning on heading away with family or friends this summer?

With many Aussies choosing to holiday at home this year, travelling to rural, regional or remote areas can be a great idea for people wanting to escape the bustle of the city. However, city-dwellers who haven’t travelled into remote parts of the country before may not be aware of the things you have to consider when it comes to staying somewhere new.

Read more: Preparing for emergencies when telecommunications services go down

With devices being brought out more and more frequently with new and exciting features, new tech can make for great gifts for relatives and friends who need a new device/s. However, phones, tablets, laptops or gaming devices can be expensive, so you want to make sure you’re taking a few key things into consideration before purchasing these items as gifts.

Read more: Make a list and check it twice before buying tech this holiday season

According to the eSafety Commissioner, 26% of kids and 75% of teens are using Facebook, and 24% of kids and 70% of teens are on Instagram. The stats are similar across various other social media sites and digital platforms, particularly as we’re seeing social media become the main form of communication for young people. 

With more and more children using social media as their main form of communication, it’s important to consider what parents can do to keep them safe online. 

Read more: Protecting your Child on Social Media

NetThing 2021 Speech by ACCAN Acting CEO – Andrew Williams

- CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY –

Building trust is a slow process. One that takes time, ongoing effort, and maintenance.

Conversely, losing trust can happen in an instant. One bad call, one misstep, and years of cultivating trust can be in jeopardy.

According to the 2021 Edelman Australia Trust Barometer, social media companies are the least trusted of all industries, falling well behind telecommunications, and even financial services.

The 2021 report shows that technology companies were the only industry to lose trust from 2020-2021, rather than gain it from Australians.
As the consumer voice for communications consumers, these statistics are not shocking or surprising to ACCAN.

We engage with consumers and advocates daily who express concern about a wide range of issues from misinformation spreading online that impacts their communities, to cyber abuse, to being unaware of their rights when using digital platforms.

Read more: NetThing 2021 - The role of consumers in building trust in digital platforms

Working from home has become an environment that many of us have become familiar with recently. However, home offices often aren’t set up as effectively as usual places of work. This means you may
not be able to guarantee access to the internet all the time, or that you may not have the speeds you need to work efficiently. Below are some steps you can take to ensure that you have the best possible working from home set up.

Read more: Handling outages while working from home

The rapid evolution of technology has meant that mobile phones aren’t just used to make calls anymore. The addition of features like cameras, digital wallets and high-resolution screen displays means that we can use our devices for so much more than just calling and texting.

It’s always exciting when we get to see what new features are being incorporated into the latest mobile devices. However, you don’t necessarily need to buy a new mobile phone every time a new product is released.

Read more: Guide to buying a new mobile phone

Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the ACCAN will be held via virtual meeting, on Thursday 16th September 2021 from 4.00pm.

ACCAN AGM

Date: Thursday 16th September 2021.

Time: 4:00pm (AEST)

Venue: Virtual Meeting via Zoom – Please register from here by 14th September 2021

Read more: Notice of ACCAN Annual General Meeting

ACCAN is seeking nominations for Directors to fill three (3) vacancies on its Board.

In accordance with the ACCAN Constitution, the 2021-2022 ACCAN Board will consist of nine (9) members¹. Six (6) positions are continuing Directors from the 2020-2021 Board. Three (3) Directors are retiring from the Board but may be eligible for re-election as stated in the ACCAN Constitution.

In accordance with the ACCAN Constitution Board members are elected for a three year term.

In order to ensure an appropriate balance, the Board is particularly seeking candidates with legal and regulatory expertise; and/or experience in financial management and governance in a not for profit organisation; and/or from an Indigenous background or with strong linkages to Indigenous communities.

Read more: Call for nominations for the ACCAN Board