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.
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.
May 2, 2023
CPRC’s forthcoming research report drawing from CPRC’s Victorian Consumer Survey explores problems reported with purchases over the previous 12 months. Our findings indicate approximately one in seven Victorians (15%) who engaged a dental provider experienced an issue with the service, 11% made a complaint about this issue, but 7% reported their issue was unresolved – whether they had made a complaint or not. These findings indicate a reasonably proportion of people seeking dental services encounter problems, and a reasonable proportion of these issues remain outstanding, even where consumers may have sought to complain or resolve the issue.
May 10, 2023
Getting the settings right for philanthropy will make Australia a more generous, connected, and supportive country. This submission puts forward ideas to make the act of seeking philanthropic funding easier for a wider range of charities and looks at additional consumer protections needed.
June 14, 2023
Australians are bombarded with claims about green and sustainable features of products and services. Marketers and businesses are trying to tap into a growing desire of many Australians to actively look after people and planet. Yet the nature of many green claims means that consumers cannot verify them—they are left hoping that businesses are doing the right thing and following through on their sustainable promises.
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.
July 19, 2023
No one should be subject to unwanted high-pressure sales tactics in their own home. Telemarketing and door knocking should be banned for Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) providers. The VEU program is a targeted and effective program that both reduces Victoria’s greenhouse gas emissions and directly assists consumers. Banning VEU providers from using high-risk unsolicited marketing techniques will greatly improve the program for consumers
August 16, 2023
Data brokers are mining and refining our data and then sharing and selling it to the highest bidder. There is little to no transparency in how data brokers collect, share and use personal information and it presents three key risks for Australian consumers: 1) It’s unlikely that consumers even know that their data is being collected by a data broker 2) It is highly unlikely that consumers have given explicit consent for that collection. 3) There is no clear way to opt-out of having your data collected in the first place.
September 13, 2023
Consumers deserve and are entitled to accurate, truthful information on products and services advertised as being sustainable or environmentally beneficial. Businesses who make deceptive, untruthful and unsubstantiated green claims must be held accountable under the Australian Consumer Law. While CPRC is broadly supportive of the ACCC’s draft guidance for businesses on green claims, we note that this is only one of many measures that must be implemented to effectively stamp out greenwashing.
