The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has made new rules that means organisations that use branded identifiers in their SMS messages (such as "myGov" or "AusPost") will need to register these identifiers with their telco provider.
ACMA Chair Nerida O'Loughlin said the SMS Sender ID Register will deliver new protections against scammers using text messages to impersonate well-known brands.
"Impersonation scams are highly deceptive and can cause significant financial loss and ongoing psychological distress.
"With this new system in place mid-next year, the public will be able to have greater confidence that SMS messages with a sender ID are legitimate.
"Messages with unregistered sender IDs will appear in a single 'Unverified' message thread on mobile phones, indicating it may be a scam," Ms O'Loughlin said.
The rules will also directly affect how telcos and electronic message service providers (EMSPs) operate. These providers will require every business and organisation seeking to use a sender ID to register it and prove they have a valid reason for its use.
"We urge all organisations that use sender ID users - including banks, medical and dental surgeries, retailers, utilities and not-for-profits - to start talking to your telco provider now about what you need to do.
"July 2026 will be here faster than you think. You need to take action now so that your sender IDs are registered and your customers can have confidence that the messages you send them are from you, not a scammer," Ms O'Loughlin said.
The new rules set out that:
- from 15 October 2025, telcos and EMSPs will need to apply to the ACMA if they want to participate in the SMS Sender ID Register and continue to carry messages with sender IDs
- between 30 November 2025 and 30 June 2026 businesses and organisations will need to register sender IDs via their participating telco or EMSP
- from 1 July 2026 onward only participating telcos will be able to send SMS and MMS with sender IDs, and unregistered sender IDs will be replaced with the word 'Unverified'.
The rules also require participating providers to inform their business customers about registration requirements and educate consumers about what to expect when the register goes live.
The Telecommunications (SMS Sender ID Register) Industry Standard 2025 was made following a direction from the Minister for Communications, the Hon Anika Wells MP, and was informed by two rounds of public consultation.
Information about how the SMS Sender ID Register will work and answers to frequently asked questions can be found at https://www.acma.gov.au/sms-sender-id-register
