Policy
Engaged in multiple sectors, our team conducts rigorous consumer and policy research to uncover market failures and consumer harm. We actively collaborate with partners, leveraging national and international perspectives to identify and understand issues within markets. By openly sharing insights, we contribute to the creation of impactful policy solutions, fostering momentum for positive change and advocating for consumer welfare.
September 15, 2022
CPRC supports ACCC’s consideration of the impacts of social media services on Australian consumers as part of its digital platform services inquiry. Entities that profit from social media need to have adequate obligations and expectations placed on them, given the significant use of social media by Australian consumers.
October 10, 2022
Innovation in data and digital services is not an end in itself. Innovation must be guided to deliver positive outcomes for all Australians. How data is collected, shared, used and aggregated needs adequate guardrails so data-led innovations do not lead to Australians being worse-off.
March 30, 2023
It’s time to introduce privacy laws that work to actively protect Australians in the digital economy. CPRC broadly supports many of the proposals outlined in the Privacy Act Review Report but recommends that the Federal Government strengthen protections further by: modernising what it means to be identifiable to cover information obtained from any source and by any means implementing genuine privacy by default measures instead of placing the onus on consumers to opt-out of settings that are not designed with their interests in mind, requiring all businesses to assess and ensure how they collect and use data leads to fair and safe outcomes that are in the interests of their customers and the community, empowering the regulator to swiftly ban or restrict harmful practices that cause direct and clear consumer harms, and providing a clear pathway for redress when things go wrong.
March 8, 2023
The Federal Government must fast-track reforms for consumers in the digital economy to ensure Australians are protected from current and future harms. Australians are currently navigating a digital economy which has not been designed with their best interests in mind. Australians have lost money, lost control over their personal information, or have had their wellbeing impacted by being manipulated into choices that aren’t in their interests.
July 27, 2023
As AI and new technologies quickly evolve, the Federal Government should focus on creating a legal and regulatory framework that ensures that when businesses use new technologies, including AI, that consumers are kept informed, treated fairly and not subject to unsafe practices. The Federal Government must fast-track reforms for consumers in the digital economy to ensure Australians are protected from current and future harms. Failure to strengthen consumer protections will mean businesses will be able to implement AI tools that make predictions that leave people worse-off, aggregate data that leads to exclusion or expose people’s vulnerabilities for commercial gain.
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