Four major Australian watchdogs have come together to create the Digital Platform Regulators Forum. 

The ACCC, Australian Communications and Media Authority, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, and Office of the eSafety Commissioner have together formed the new body aimed at increasing cooperation and information sharing between them. 

The joint statement of the Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG) says: “Regulators … face many of the same challenges – addressing emerging consumer harms, encouraging innovation while balancing protections, and countering the market power of these large, complex and diverse multinational entities. A critical and overarching focus is considering how competition, consumer protection, privacy, online safety and data intersect in issues that the various regulators consider.”

ACCC chair Rod Sims says modern problems require modern approaches. 

“Digital platforms have become an essential part of Australian life; and while they offer many benefits to consumers, they also present a range of challenges in terms of competition and consumer protection,” he said.

“The forum will help to streamline our approach to the regulation of digital platforms in Australia. Since the ACCC began examining digital platform services in 2017, we have observed harms to competition, consumers, and business users in a range of areas dominated by large digital platforms.

“Collaboration with other agencies who also have a role in regulating digital platforms is vital as we consider whether further regulatory reforms are needed to support competition and protect Australian consumers online,” Mr Rod Sims said.

The DP-REG holds no enforceable rights and no decision-making capabilities, but describes itself as being “intended to be flexible and recognise the limits of each member’s respective regulatory frameworks’.

The DP-REG will be led by a rotation of chairpeople that shifts every six months, with meetings to occur once every 2 months.