The catastrophic Microsoft outage that has severely impacted business and individuals across the globe has highlighted the lack of transparency and consumer protections that exist with the digital platforms we are all so reliant on. The CEO of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network, Carol Bennett said the lack of transparency and accountability by big tech means that Australia has a significant reliance on digital platforms but little trust of those providing the service. "Our forthcoming consumer sentiment research shows there is now near total reliance on digital platforms with 93 per cent of people reporting they used an app store or social media platform in the last 12 months, and 81 per cent say the apps they use most are important to their day-to-day life. This is how Australians live now," Ms Bennett said. "Yet paradoxically, while we are using these platforms like never before but 79% of consumers want stronger protections for online services. Trust is at a low ebb, with several digital giants ranked among Australia's least trusted companies. "This indicates a real problem with the market, its product and its services. This latest worldwide Microsoft outage highlights just how little consumer protections are in place. We have limited information about what has gone wrong, when it may be restored or what compensation, if any, will be given to those impacted. There is little transparency or accountability about what steps are being taken to ensure such a disaster is fixed quickly and does not happen again." Ms Bennett said the new research highlighted the fact consumers did not trust big tech to respond to their complaints, they did not trust them to use their personal information correctly and many consumers felt trapped using a platform because it was not easy to change. She said Australia must learn the hard lessons of the telecommunications industry - where protections for consumers have had to be enforced on a reluctant industry. With so much of our social and economic well-being resting on these companies for our everyday functioning, so users of digital systems should have greater confidence, protection and remedies in place for redress. "We are completely reliant on big tech to protect public interest. At some point we need to accept that isn't the driver of their interests. We need right size regulation that acts on the side of public interest." "We also need independent and resourced representation for consumers of digital services and a complaints mechanism (external dispute resolution) so that consumers have somewhere to go rather than being left alone to deal with the fallout and cost of major tech disruption."
About us:
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) is Australia's peak communication consumer organisation. The operation of ACCAN is made possible by funding provided by the Commonwealth of Australia under section 593 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. This funding is recovered from charges on telecommunications carriers.
