02  Jul 2026

COUNTDOWN IS ON UNTIL UNFAIR IS ILLEGAL 

UNFAIR TRADING PRACTICES REFORMS PASS PARLIAMENT

Australians are one step closer to stronger protections against subscription traps, hidden fees and manipulative business practices, with landmark unfair trading reforms now passed by Parliament.

The Competition and Consumer Amendment (Unfair Trading Practices) Bill 2026 introduces an economy-wide prohibition on unfair trading practices, strengthens protections against subscription traps and cracks down on drip pricing.

The new protections will take effect from 1 July 2027, giving consumers a one-year countdown until unfair businesses practices are illegal.

Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) CEO Erin Turner said the reforms are a major step forward for consumer protection in Australia.

“For far too long Australians have been exposed to business practices designed to manipulate, confuse and trap consumers.

“Whether it’s a subscription that’s difficult to cancel, hidden fees revealed late in the purchase process, or digital design that pressures people into decisions they wouldn’t otherwise make, these reforms will help create a fairer marketplace.

“These reforms will give regulators the right tools to address harmful business conduct and help ensure consumers can make informed choices without being manipulated or unfairly disadvantaged,” Turner said.

Alongside other consumer organisations across Australia, CPRC has supported an unfair trading prohibition for many years

“We are pleased to see Australia join our international peers in protecting consumers from from unfair business practices.

“This is a significant milestone for consumer protection and an important step towards fairer markets for everyone,” Turner said.

The reforms are set to commence on 1 July 2027.

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Media contacts:  Liliana Campos  Ph: 0493 539 466 E:media@cprc.org.au

Further information:

CPRC

Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC) is an independent, not-for-profit, consumer think-tank established to work with policymakers, regulators, academia, industry, and the community sector to develop, translate and promote evidence-based research to inform practice and policy change.

Find out more about unfair trading

• How Australia Can Stop Unfair Business Practices
• Let Me Out – Subscriptions Trap Practices in Australia
• Playing the Player – Unfair Digital Gaming Practices
• Duped by Design – Manipulative online design: Dark patterns in Australia
• Made to Manipulate – The impact of deceptive online design practices on wellbeing and strategies to mitigate harm.