23 June 2025 – Sydney
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a strong call for new regulatory powers to rein in the dominance of major digital platforms and protect consumers, following the release of its tenth and final report from a five-year inquiry into digital platform services.
In a comprehensive assessment of Australia’s digital economy, the ACCC found that existing laws are no longer adequate to address growing risks posed by tech giants and evolving technologies such as cloud computing and generative AI.
“Digital platform services are critically important to Australian consumers and businesses and are major drivers of productivity growth in our economy,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. “But these services have also created harms that our current competition and consumer laws cannot adequately address.”
The report renews the ACCC’s call for sweeping reforms, including:
- An economy-wide ban on unfair trading practices
- A specialised external dispute resolution body for digital platform users
- A new digital competition regime to regulate dominant platforms
Unfair Practices Still Widespread
The ACCC found that harmful practices remain entrenched in the digital economy. More than 70% of surveyed consumers reported experiencing potentially unfair treatment online, including hidden fees, accidental subscriptions, and manipulative website design.
“These tactics confuse and disadvantage consumers. An economy-wide prohibition on unfair trading practices is necessary to protect users both online and offline,” said Ms Cass-Gottlieb.
Businesses—particularly small firms—also remain vulnerable, with limited recourse when digital platforms deactivate their accounts or allow fake reviews to damage their reputations.
“A new dispute resolution body would provide vital support to these businesses and give consumers a trusted channel to escalate unresolved complaints,” she said.
Big Tech Conduct Still Distorting Competition
The ACCC’s final report highlights ongoing anti-competitive conduct by dominant digital platforms, including self-preferencing, tying of services, exclusivity arrangements, and the use of closed ecosystems to lock in users and exclude rivals.
“These behaviours reduce competition, raise prices, limit choice, and can even result in more aggressive data collection from users,” said Ms Cass-Gottlieb. “Other countries—like the EU, UK, Japan, and Germany—have already taken action. Australia must not fall behind.”
The proposed digital competition regime would introduce mandatory codes of conduct for designated platforms and give the ACCC the tools to intervene before market power is entrenched.
Emerging Risks: Cloud and AI
The ACCC also warned that rapid developments in cloud computing and generative AI pose new risks. Tech giants Amazon, Microsoft, and Google dominate Australia’s cloud sector and, due to vertical integration, may be incentivised to favour their own services or lock in customers through bundling.
Similarly, the report warns that cloud providers could unfairly promote their own AI models, disadvantaging competitors and stifling innovation.
“To protect against these risks, the ACCC must be empowered to continue monitoring both existing and emerging technologies,” said Ms Cass-Gottlieb.
Next Steps
The ACCC’s final recommendations build on its earlier findings, which the Government accepted in-principle in December 2023. A consultation on implementing a digital competition regime began in late 2024.
With international momentum for reform growing, the ACCC is urging swift legislative action to ensure Australia remains a fair and competitive digital economy.
Further details and the full report are available on the ACCC’s website.
