Category Archives: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)

ACCC to crack down on ‘greenwashing’ after survey reveals spike in misleading claims

Posted on by

Competition watchdog analysis of 247 businesses showed 57% had promoted concerning claims about environmental credentials

The competition watchdog will step up its probe of companies’ environmental claims after an initial sweep found more than half made misleading statements ranging from overstating climate action to developing their own certification schemes.

The survey of 247 businesses or brands across eight sectors by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission last October found 57% had promoted “concerning claims about their environmental credentials”.

Continue reading...

Australian losses to online marketplace fraud increase as scams become increasingly sophisticated

Posted on by

Consumer groups say online platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree need to do more to keep customers safe

Wayne Draper and his wife wanted a puppy. When they came across pictures of a new bulldog on Facebook, they instantly fell in love.

The Facebook page it was advertised on had been operating since January 2021, and had seemed to cycle for several litters of puppies. They promised their pups were ANKC (Australian National Kennel Council)-registered, wormed and had a full veterinary health check.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Consumer watchdog calls on public to report social media influencers failing to disclose posts as ads

Posted on by

Influencers who are in breach of the Australian Consumer Law can face penalties of up to $2.5m

Australia’s consumer watchdog is embarking on a dob-in-an-influencer campaign targeting social media stars who fail to declare their posts as advertisements.

This week the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) put out a call on social media, asking the public to send in examples of influencers who appeared to be promoting a brand or product online without disclosing it was an ad.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Consumer watchdog puts Australian airlines on notice over high domestic air fares

Posted on by

ACCC says they will closely monitor companies to ensure they do not keep prices high through artificial scarcity

The consumer watchdog has put airlines on notice, warning carriers they will be “closely” monitored to ensure they aren’t deliberately slowing their return to full service capacity so they can “keep air fares high”.

In its quarterly airline competition report, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found a 27% increase in all air fare types between October 2019 and October 2022. It noted the price of discounted economy fares had increased the most because “with fewer flights but strong demand, the airlines don’t currently need to offer special fares to fill their planes”.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australia’s consumer watchdog calls for new laws to stop scams and rein in anti-competitive behaviour online

Posted on by

ACCC report says digital platforms expose users and businesses to ‘harms’ as it pushes for overhaul

Australia’s competition regulator has run out of patience with digital platforms such as Google and Facebook and has recommended new laws to clamp down on scams, address consumer complaints and rein in anti-competitive behaviour.

Releasing its fifth progress report on digital platforms since it began an inquiry in 2017, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has called for industry-specific legislation, saying it has identified “widespread, entrenched and systematic” consumer and competition “harms”.

Continue reading...

Federal budget: Jim Chalmers flags intervention in energy market as prices surge

Posted on by

ACCC to review gas industry as Labor’s budget forecasts point to a 56% rise in power prices over the next two years

The Albanese government has asked the competition watchdog to review the code of conduct covering the gas industry and recommend options to toughen the current regime in the hope of delivering energy price relief to households and businesses.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission confirmed it had new riding instructions from the government after the treasurer, Jim Chalmers, on Wednesday flagged fresh government intervention in the energy market.

Sign up for our free morning newsletter and afternoon email to get your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Youpla collapse: ACCC warns funeral directors against ripping off victims

Posted on by

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says people should not reveal to funeral providers they are eligible for payments from government scheme

The consumer watchdog has warned funeral directors against ripping off victims of the Youpla collapse by increasing the prices it charges to people who are eligible for payments from a government scheme.

People who are eligible for a payment from the scheme shouldn’t reveal this to funeral services providers while negotiating a quote, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

Consumer watchdog will crack down on petrol price gouging when tax cut ends, Labor says

Posted on by

Federal government also confirms pension and jobseeker will rise 4% in line with consumer price index, as parliament returns

The federal treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has asked the competition watchdog to crack down hard on any price gouging when the petrol excise cut expires at the end of September.

The letter to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, released on Monday, confirms the government’s intention to reintroduce “the full excise” on 29 September. It was halved for six months in the March budget.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

SMS scams: mobile companies could face fines of up to $250,000 under new Australian code

Posted on by

New regulations require scam messages to be traced, identified and blocked and for information to be shared with authorities

Mobile phone companies could face up to $250,000 in fines for failing to comply with a new code to block SMS scam messages.

The code, registered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) on Tuesday, will require the companies to trace, identify and block SMS scam messages, and publish information for customers on how to identify and report scams.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Fake Twitter accounts for new senator suspended – as it happened

Posted on by

Twitter suspends two fake accounts pretending to be Fatima Payman; nation records at least 59 Covid deaths. This blog is now closed

Victoria is reporting a spike in Covid related deaths, after 28 people lost their lives overnight:

Rally outside NSW parliament to protest government’s wages policy

We are losing skilled teachers, nurses, cleaners – and we’re going to have more pressure in NSW for services to be provided that we can’t retain.

It’s not much to ask and the government needs to act.

Continue reading...

‘Complex and volatile’: cryptocurrencies should be regulated by financial watchdogs, say consumer advocates

Posted on by

Treasury inquiry told ‘crypto is high-risk and unsophisticated investors are at high risk of losing significant funds’

Consumer groups have called for strong financial regulation of cryptocurrency markets and investments in Australia, saying crypto assets are “complex, volatile and high-risk products that can cause harm to Australian consumers.”

In a submission to the federal treasury’s consultation paper on cryptocurrency, consumer group Choice has urged the federal government to “strongly consider regulating all crypto assets under the existing financial product regulatory regime for better outcomes for consumers and the community”.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Meta asks to be spared tighter rules in Australia, saying iPhone’s tracking blocker is hurting business

Posted on by

Company tells consumer watchdog it is set to lose $10bn this year in wake of Apple iOS feature hampering ability to collect user data

Meta says Apple’s decision to allow users to stop apps tracking them on their phones has diminished Facebook’s advertising market power, and therefore the social media giant should not face further regulation in Australia.

In mid-2021 Apple rolled out a new feature in iOS 14.5 called “app tracking transparency” which asks for users’ consent before an app can track their activity across websites and apps, and allows users to opt out of the tracking at any time.

Continue reading...

Google faces $400m fine over Fitbit takeover if it doesn’t wait for competition watchdog’s approval

Posted on by

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission concerned tech giant could harm competitors in wake of deal

Google faces a fine of up to $400m if it takes over Fitbit before the Australian competition regulator completes an investigation into the transaction.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Tuesday rejected an offer from Google to enter into a court-enforceable undertaking limiting the way it would use data gleaned from the wrist-worn fitness tracking devices.

Continue reading...

Robodebt collector’s parent company harassed consumers, ACCC says

Posted on by

Panthera, being pursued by consumer watchdog, is parent of ARL, contracted to recover debt from welfare recipients

LThe parent company of a debt collector handed $3.3m in taxpayer dollars to pursue welfare recipients over robodebts and other overpayments is being sued by the consumer watchdog for alleged harassment, coercion and unconscionable conduct.

ARL Group was among three companies to share in $16.5m in contracts to carry out debt recovery services for the Department of Human Services in the 2019-20 financial year, tender documents published in July show.

Continue reading...