The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has announced its compliance and enforcement priorities for 2026-27, with a focus on identifying areas of high risk of harm to consumers and implementing new rules to better protect them.
The priorities target areas where industry compliance is critical to keeping Australians safe and connected, including access to Triple Zero, disruption of branded SMS scams, mobile phone equipment compliance, and safeguards for telco customers experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence.
ACMA Chair Nerida O'Loughlin said the priorities reflect the regulator's focus on delivering on the expectations of consumers.
"Communications services are at the centre of Australians' economic and social lives. Consumers expect more from these services than ever before. And they want more help in getting access to services and stronger protections if things go wrong," Ms O'Loughlin said.
"Whether it is making sure people can reach Triple Zero in an emergency, helping stop scam messages before they reach consumers, or ensuring vulnerable customers receive the protections they are entitled to, the ACMA will act where industry falls short."
The ACMA's 2026-27 annual compliance and enforcement priorities are:
- Disrupting branded SMS scams
- Compliance and enforcement of Triple Zero and public safety requirements
- Equipment regulation for mobile phones
- Enforcing domestic, sexual and family violence consumer safeguards
- Gambling advertising - implementation of regulatory reforms.
The 2026-27 compliance priorities were informed by submissions made through a public consultation process. More details on the 2026-27 compliance and enforcement priorities are available on the ACMA website.
The ACMA will also continue its three enduring compliance and enforcement priorities, which reflect its long-term focus on matters of significant and ongoing harm to the Australian community:
- Preventing gambling harm
- Combatting spam and telco scams
- Protecting vulnerable telco customers.
Ms O'Loughlin said the ACMA's annual priorities sit alongside its broader business-as-usual compliance, monitoring and enforcement work.
"These priorities identify areas of particular focus for the year ahead, but they do not limit the ACMA's work. We will continue to take action across all our regulatory responsibilities where we identify serious or systemic non-compliance," Ms O'Loughlin said.
The ACMA has also released its Outcomes: compliance priorities 2025-26 report, which sets out the ACMA's actions and outcomes against its priorities for the last year.
