The Albanese Government is ensuring customers are better protected by holding telecommunications providers to account, with new laws passed by Parliament.
The Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025 means the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) can act quicker and take immediate action for breaches of industry rules.
It also increases penalties by about 40 times to more than $10 million or higher in some circumstances – with fines to be based on the value of the benefit obtained from the breach, or the turnover of the relevant telco.
This means stronger and swifter enforcement of codes, standards and determinations, which will help protect and support everyday Australians, including when people are experiencing financial hardship or domestic, family and sexual violence.
The law also improves industry transparency by establishing a Carriage Service Provider registration scheme to increase accountability of telcos and enable ACMA to stop dodgy providers from operating.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications Anika Wells:
“The Albanese Government is committed to keeping Australians connected. Strengthening consumer protections means a fairer and better system for everyone.
“Australians should be able to trust their telecommunications providers to have their interests at heart.
“This law puts in place clear rules setting out how telcos must support their customers, particularly those experiencing financial hardship or domestic, family and sexual violence.
“This law ensures ACMA can take swift and strong action against any telco found to have done the wrong thing, with penalties increased more than 40-fold.
“This Bill also furthers the Albanese Government’s commitment to improve transparency and accountability in the telco industry by better regulating carriage service providers, who have previously been able to fly under the radar.”
