In March 2022, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) (each a Member and together, the Members) formalised existing collaborative arrangements to establish the Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG).
DP-REG is an avenue for Members to share information about, and collaborate on, common or related issues and activities relating to the regulation of digital platforms. For the purposes of DP-REG, a ‘digital platform’ includes, but is not limited to, internet search engines, digital content aggregators, social media services, private messaging services, media referral services and electronic marketplaces.
DP-REG’s goals are described in the DP-REG Terms of Reference.
Each Member has regulatory roles and responsibilities relating to digital platforms and undertakes activities that affect digital platform sectors. The work of Members is often complementary and may overlap or intersect in various ways, including the possible implications of digital platforms for consumer protection, competition, the media and information environment, privacy, and online safety. In doing so, Members often face common and intersecting regulatory challenges, including addressing scams and emerging consumer harms, balancing innovation with appropriate protections, and responding to the market power of large, multinational digital platform operators.