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The ACCC has highlighted a range of harms to consumers and small businesses occurring across social media services, including excessive data collection practices, lack of effective dispute resolution options, prevalence of scams, lack of transparency for advertisers and inadequate disclosure of sponsored content by influencers and brands.

Read More ACCC Social Media Report Finds Consumers and Small Businesses Require More Protections

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The Albanese Government has announced its intent to establish an SMS sender ID Registry or SMS Scam registry to help combat the increasingly large number of scam text messages being sent to Australians. From the 23/04/23 media release from the Minister for Communications, Hon Michelle Rowland MP: Almost half of all Australians have been scammed,…

Read More Federal Government to Act on Disrupting Illegal Text Message Scams

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Australia’s four major banks are failing their customers by taking a ‘variable and…less mature’ approach to scams than expected, with ‘inconsistent and narrow approaches to determining liability’ as well as gaps in how they detect and stop scam payments, according to Report 761 today from the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).

Read More ASIC Report says Australian Banks are Failing Customers

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Media release first posted 18/04/2023. The ACCC is asking parents and guardians for their views on childcare services in Australia, as part of its year-long inquiry into the sector. Parents and guardians are invited to complete a short online survey to share their experiences when looking for and using childcare services in Australia. The ACCC is seeking…

Read More Parents and Guardians Asked for Their Experience with Childcare

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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has just released its 2022 Targeting Scams report in which it found an 80% increase in total losses compared to 2021. Using data from regulators and government agencies, the report highlights the need for further collaboration between government bodies, banks, regulators, telcos, and digital platforms to close “significant…

Read More ACCC Calls for United Front as Scammers Steal Over $3bn from Australians

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The Battery Stewardship Council (BSC) is inviting feedback on the Electric Vehicle Battery Stewardship Discussion Paper which is being released in partnership with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCIA) and Motor Traders Association of Australia (MTAA). This Discussion Paper is intended to facilitate an inclusive dialog on options for ensuring electric vehicle battery stewardship.…

Read More Have your say on the future of Battery Stewardship in the Electric Vehicle sector

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Below is a media release (12/04/2023) from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) regarding current Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb’s speech to the National Press Club on the need to reform merger laws in Australia. A full transcript of the speech is available from the ACCC’s website here. Australia’s merger laws are no longer fit for…

Read More ACCC: Reform of merger laws critical for Australia’s economic transition

COTA

The trend towards digital and cashless banking is already negatively impacting many vulnerable Australians as COTA (Council on the Ageing) highlighted in their recent media release, as seen below: The closure of cash services at bank branches risks cutting off access to vital and basic banking services for many older Australians, particularly our most vulnerable,…

Read More COTA: Don’t lock vulnerable Australians out of banking

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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), along with the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), has found that while direct debit may work for some consumers direct debits automatic system and lack of flexibility created unfair additional costs and financial distress for vulnerable consumers. In a media release (05/04/2023) ACCAN said: A thriving and competitive…

Read More Direct Debit for Telcos and Utilities a Problem for Vulnerable Consumers