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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) announced its compliance priorities for 2022 to 2023, highlighting misinformation and scams as two of the seven priority areas.
ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin said the focused concerns could significantly impact the Australian community financially and socially.
O’Loughlin said, “SMS scams have risen sharply over the last year, and we will soon be registering new rules for telcos requiring them to track and block those messages.”
“Online misinformation is also a growing cause for concern, so we will continue to review digital platforms’ performance under the recently implemented industry code and advise government on their effectiveness,” she added.
ACMA will also target online gambling in its compliance priorities, with the communications watchdog launching a national self-exclusion register.
The register will include authorized telephone and online betting companies and those that take bets on sporting events and horse races.
With the registry, Australians can withdraw from these services permanently or for three months.
O’Loughlin said that the registry would serve as a resource for those seeking assistance in changing their gaming behaviors and will strengthen existing consumer protection laws.
She said, “Once you choose to self-exclude, it will be an offence for a licensed wagering provider to open an account for you, take a bet from you, or to market gambling services to you. The ACMA will be enforcing those rules.”
The other three areas in the compliance priorities are
Submissions made in an earlier public consultation helped shape the ACMA’s compliance goals.
According to O’Loughlin, ACMA’s compliance, enforcement, and other work will not be exclusive to these priorities, but it will give a heads-up to the sectors it regulates in said areas.
Jaw de Guzman is the content producer for Comms Room, a knowledge platform and website aimed at assisting the communications industry and its professionals.
