ACCC

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has called for a suite of new laws to curb “widespread, entrenched, and systemic” consumer and competition issues on digital platforms.

Optus has agreed to pay a $13.5 million penalty for misleading thousands of NBN customers into paying for internet plan speeds that could not be achieved, the telco’s third penalty in four years over misleading representations made in relation to its NBN services.

The outgoing deputy chair for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says Australia “really needs” a new unfair practices law, echoing sentiments from the regulator’s former boss.

The consumer regulator has taken Dell Australia to court for allegedly making misleading statements about the price of add-on monitors that could be purchased with Dell computers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has drawn “a line in the sand” on greenwashing and will no longer accept “purely aspirational” climate change targets from companies, the regulator’s deputy chair has said.

Queensland crane company NQCranes has agreed to pay a $1 million penalty in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s case alleging it engaged in a conspiracy with a multinational rival to divide the Brisbane and Newcastle markets.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has dragged Google-owned Fitbit to court for allegedly telling consumers they had to mail in broken devices within 45 days in order to obtain a refund.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is currently “not satisfied” that the public benefits from allowing Virgin and Alliance to continue to cooperate in markets for fly-in fly-out customers will outweigh its competition concerns. 

The former managing director and CEO of Bingo Industries has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the waste company in fixing prices for demolition waste services in Sydney.

The ACCC has expressed concerns that Forestry Corporation of NSW’s proposed acquisition of Hume Forests could lead to price increases in regional areas by removing a significant competitor in the softwood market.