The ACCC, Australian Communications and Media Authority, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, and Office of the eSafety Commissioner have together formed the Digital Platform Regulators Forum.
"The new Digital Platform Regulators Forum seeks to increase cooperation and information sharing between digital platform regulators on the common areas of our work, including approaches to regulation," ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
"Digital platforms have become an essential part of Australian life; and while they offer many benefits to consumers, they also present a range of challenges in terms of competition and consumer protection."
"The forum will help to streamline our approach to the regulation of digital platforms in Australia. Since the ACCC began examining digital platform services in 2017, we have observed harms to competition, consumers, and business users in a range of areas dominated by large digital platforms," Mr Sims said.
"Collaboration with other agencies who also have a role in regulating digital platforms is vital as we consider whether further regulatory reforms are needed to support competition and protect Australian consumers online," ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.
While the ACCC looks at digital platforms in relation to competition and consumer impacts, the other regulators focus on regulating communication and media services, protecting privacy, and promoting safety online.
The joint statement of the Digital Platform Regulators Forum says: "Regulators … face many of the same challenges - addressing emerging consumer harms, encouraging innovation while balancing protections, and countering the market power of these large, complex and diverse multinational entities. A critical and overarching focus is considering how competition, consumer protection, privacy, online safety and data intersect in issues that the various regulators consider."
The full statement is available on ACMA's website.
