The report, "Digital platforms complaints insights", shows 71 per cent per cent of disputes are with the major tech companies Google, Microsoft, Apple, Hubbl, and Meta. The tech giants have the resources and time to address these complaints, yet people are increasingly struggling to resolve their issues.
The problems people are experiencing with digital platform issues are regularly reported to the TIO, but we are currently unable to help. The organisation is calling for the Australian Government to expand the TIO's jurisdiction to become the Communications Ombudsman.
Digital platform complaints to the TIO are growing, with complaints in 2024 up nearly 30 per cent compared to the previous year, and 2025 complaint volumes continue to climb.
Of all the digital platform complaints to the TIO:
- 36 per cent related to account access, including blocks and bans
- 34 per cent were fees and charges disputes
- 25 per cent related to faulty products and services.
The vast majority of digital platforms complaints mirror the TIO's work with telcos. The report highlights case studies showing the similarity in consumer harms about account lockouts and hacking across telco, social media and other digital platforms.
View TIO Digital Complaints Insights report (PDF, 334KB)
As stated by Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert:
"When things go wrong online, the cost is profound: people and small businesses are losing time and money. People are struggling to solve their complaints directly, coming up against unhelpful chatbots and automated emails - so they turn to us.
"It's heartbreaking telling people that unlike issues with telco providers, we don't have the power to help resolve their digital platform disputes - no one does.
"When someone loses access to their telco service, we work with the consumer and the company to resolve the issue. But when someone is accidentally locked out of their social media or cloud storage account, and the platform is not responding, there's nowhere for them to go.
"We are calling for the Australian Government to expand the TIO to become the Communications Ombudsman. To support government reforms such as the under 16s social media ban and digital duty of care, it's more important than ever that people have appeal rights when digital platforms get things wrong.
"Big tech companies have the resources to improve the way they handle complaints, but without stronger digital consumer protections - including an external body to resolve disputes - everyday people are left feeling confused and powerless.
"By being able to handle both telco and digital platform complaints, we can help close a key gap in consumer protections and restore trust in the digital economy."
