Mark Zuckerberg
Global tech

Meta’s Facebook subsidiaries have been smacked with $20 million in fines for misleading users over a free VPN that was harvesting data

- July 26, 2023 3 MIN READ

Two subsidiaries of social media giant Meta, Facebook Israel and Onavo Inc, have been fined $10 million each for misleading conduct, in breach of the Australian Consumer Law, over a virtual private network (VPN) service that was used to gather data on users and share it with Facebook’s marketing team.  Consumer watchdog the ACCC launched… Read more »

hipages founder and CEO Roby Sharon-Zipser
ASX

Tradie marketplace Hipages cops misleading conduct charge from consumer watchdog over subscription cancellations

- May 30, 2023 2 MIN READ

ASX-listed tradesperson platform Hipages Group has conceded to regulator the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that it potentially engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct over four years involving its subscription renewals and termination fees. The ACCC said the company’s actions were in breach of the Australian Consumer Law between October 2018 to January 2022… Read more »

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Steve Martin & MIchael Caine
Cyber security

Scams are now costing Australians more than $3 billion a year

- April 17, 2023 3 MIN READ

Australians lost a record $3.1 billion to financial scammers in 2022. However, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) suggests the real figure is likely much higher, with an estimated 30% of scams going unreported. The findings come from the watchdog’s Targeting Scams report, which combines data from Scamwatch, ReportCyber, the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange… Read more »

Apple iPhone
Global tech

A class action against Google and Apple over app commissions is hunting for Australian app designers to join in

- April 3, 2023 2 MIN READ

Australian lawyers are seeking app developers to join a class action against Google and Apple over what they claim is an abuse of market power by charging 30% commissions on in-app spending while preventing competitive payment alternatives. The class action reflects similar legal action launched in 2020 by Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite, against the… Read more »

ACCC
AI/Machine Learning

ACCC warns of ‘dark patterns’ used by tech giants to lock in consumers

- March 9, 2023 3 MIN READ

The five largest tech giants may be using ‘dark patterns’ to prevent consumers from adopting online services from competitors, the ACCC has warned as it solicits feedback on a new issues paper exploring the companies’ entrance into a diverse range of markets. Recent years have seen Amazon, Apple, Facebook parent company Meta, Microsoft, and Google… Read more »

ACCC Social media
Social Media

Consumer watchdog launches influencer crackdown over hidden ads after social media users dob them in

- January 30, 2023 2 MIN READ

The Australia Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) is combing through social media platforms to identify influencers that don’t disclose affiliations with the product and company they’re promoting. Social media users reported more than 100 influencers to the regulator.  Most tip-offs were about beauty, lifestyle, parenting, and fashion influencers who failed to follow the advertising disclosure… Read more »

Gina Cass-Gottlieb
Politics

The ACCC wants tougher controls over tech titans Meta, Google, Apple and Amazon to tackle scams and fraud

- November 14, 2022 3 MIN READ

The Australian and Consumer Competition Commission (ACCC) wants tougher regulations to tackle issues such as online scams, dodgy apps and fake reviews, putting the onus on major tech companies such as Meta and Google to address the harms caused to consumers, and small businesses. The ACCC’s fifth report in its five-year Digital Platform Services Inquiry proposes… Read more »

Business

Telstra, Optus and TPG pay a combined $33.5 million in fines for misleading speed claims on NBN plans

- November 11, 2022 2 MIN READ

Australia’s three largest internet service providers, Telstra, Optus and TPG have copped Federal Court penalties totalling $33.5 million after they all admitted to making false or misleading claims about their NBN plans. Telstra was ordered to pay $15 million, Optus $13.5 million, and TPG $5 million for breaching the Australian Consumer Law (ACL)  in relation… Read more »

Business

Consumer watchdog the ACCC is hunting down ‘greenwashing’, undisclosed influencer ads on social media, and fake online reviews

- October 4, 2022 2 MIN READ

Consumer protection regulator the ACCC has launched new crackdowns on misleading environmental and sustainability marketing claims as well as fake or misleading online business reviews. ACCC Deputy Chair Delia Rickard said the online sweep over the coming weeks with see it review at least 200 company websites in the hunt for misleading environmental claims. “As… Read more »

Social Media

Competition watchdog the ACCC is turning its attention to how companies use social media

- August 16, 2022 2 MIN READ

The ACCC’s Digital Platforms Services Inquiry will dive into competition for social media services in Australia as part of the sixth interim report of the regulator’s five-year Digital Platform Services Inquiry. The competition watchdog will also look at consumer issues, such as the way that businesses use social media advertising services, including paid influencers. An… Read more »

Global tech

Google smacked with $60 million for misleading Australian users over Android phone tracking

- August 15, 2022 2 MIN READ

Tech giant Google has been hit with $60 million in penalties by Australia’s Federal Court for for making misleading representations to consumers about the collection and use of their personal location data on Android phones. The fine resulted from legal action by consumer watchdog the ACCC, which took Google to court in October 2019 over… Read more »

Fintech

A major bank has been fined for failing to share customer details under the Consumer Data Right

- July 13, 2022 2 MIN READ

Complaints from the fintech sector that some major banks have been slow to get with the program when it comes to open banking have proved true with the competition watchdog slapping a $133,200 fine on the Bank of Queensland. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) issued the penalty and infringement notice against BoQ for allegedly… Read more »

Kogan.com
Data

The ACCC wants online marketplaces to give users more control over their data

- May 4, 2022 4 MIN READ

Consumers using online retail marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon “have little effective choice in the amount of data they share”, according to the latest report of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) Digital Platform Services Inquiry. Consumers may benefit from personalisation and recommendations in these marketplaces based on their data, but many are… Read more »

  • 1
  • 2
  • …
  • 4