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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) lashed Lycamobile for the second time for its “ongoing disregard” of obligations stemming from previously identified public safety inadequacies.
Last year, ACMA slapped the telco with $604,800-fine for failing to give customer data to a police and emergency services database.
ACMA further directed Lycamobile to improve compliance with customer identification checks after failing to meet obligations on more than 4,200 instances when signing up prepaid mobile customers.
The said failure can lead to phones that are hard to trace being used in crimes.
Read here: Telcos warned for failing to protect customers against identity theft – CommsRoom
ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said they launched another investigation after Lycamobile failed to comply.
After finding Lycamobile had not taken action in the required timeframe, ACMA ruled that Lycamobile breached a court-enforceable undertaking to improve its practices and hit the telco with an additional $186,480 penalty for the extra contravention.
“Lycamobile has shown an ongoing disregard for its obligations and the commitments it has made to the ACMA,” O’Loughlin said.
“It consistently missed deadlines, provided inadequate reports, and when we raised these matters on multiple occasions, it gave subsequent commitments that it then failed to meet.”
O’Loughlin also said Lycamobile had paid its fine and was “finally” starting to take its obligations seriously.
“Breaching obligations and not fulfilling commitments to the regulator has been costly for the company and caused potential harm to its customers,” she said.
“We will continue to watch Lycamobile closely to make sure it’s doing the right thing by its customers and the public.”
If the company breaches its commitments once more, ACMA may file a civil lawsuit in the Federal Court, which may impose fines of up to $250,000 for each violation.
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Jaw de Guzman is the content producer for Comms Room, a knowledge platform and website aimed at assisting the communications industry and its professionals.
