IMAA backs ACCC call for urgent regulatory reform on digital media and ad platforms

The Independent Media Agencies of Australia (IMAA), Australia’s national industry body representing independent media agencies, has supported the call for urgent regulatory reform of the nation’s digital media platforms, following the release of the ACCC’s final Digital Platforms Inquiry report.

 

The organisation has supported the ACCC’s call for reform to address long-standing imbalances in Australia’s digital media and advertising ecosystem, particularly issues around transparency, equity and improved access to data among the global digital giants.

The ACCC recently released the final report of its five-year, landmark Digital Platforms Inquiry. The final report, and its raft of recommendations, reinforced the need for widespread reform to address digital platform-related competition, along with an economy-wide prohibition on unfair trading practices.

The IMAA has backed many of the ACCC’s recommendations, including:

·       Support for regulation and platform designation, with the introduction of “upfront” rules to stop anti-competitive behaviour before it occurs.  This would include designating dominant platforms like Google, Meta and Amazon with clear conduct codes.

·       Transparency and accountable conduct in the ad tech supply chain, particularly increased transparency in the Google ad tech stack, fair access to data and inventory, and greater scrutiny of self-referencing practices and bundling services. This would allow indies to compete more fairly and offer greater transparency to their clients.

·       A clampdown on dark patterns and consumer manipulation, with a crackdown on subscription traps, hidden fees and manipulative UI/UX design and fake reviews in retail and marketplace ecosystems that damage trust in the broader digital landscape.

·       Continued monitoring of emerging risks in areas like generative AI, when used to manipulate pricing, media recommendations or create misinformation, cloud computing, gaming and retail marketplaces to ensure innovation does not come at the cost of competition.

The IMAA has also endorsed the ACCC’s recommendation to continue and expand the work of the Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG), comprised of representatives from the ACCC, ACMA and eSafety, enabling an ongoing whole-of-government approach to digital platform regulation.

As the peak industry body representing the independent media agency sector, the IMAA has long advocated for fairer competition, greater transparency and improved access to data and inventory for all market participants and the independent media agency sector in particular.

IMAA CEO, Sam Buchanan, said all the recommendations would help create a fairer, more transparent and competitive digital ecosystem: “As Australia’s largest media industry body, we believe that meaningful reform must prioritise transparency, consumer trust and fair access, especially for the independent sector, which continues to deliver agile, accountable and innovative solutions for Australian businesses. We look forward to working with the government and regulators to ensure the reforms don’t just tame the giants but empower the indies.

“The ACCC’s recommendations align closely with the challenges our members face daily in dealing with powerful digital platforms, whose commercial practices too often disadvantage independent agencies and their clients. Independent media agencies often face systemic disadvantages competing against platforms and large holding groups with preferential access and pricing. Clearer rules level the playing field.

“Independent agencies are critical to the health, diversity and innovation of the Australian media and advertising industry. We encourage the Federal Government to act swiftly on the ACCC’s recommendations and ensure that upcoming reforms prioritise transparency, accountability and equitable access, giving all agencies, regardless of size, the opportunity to compete on a level playing field.

“The IMAA stands ready to engage constructively with government, regulators and industry stakeholders to help shape a regulatory framework that protects consumers, supports innovation and ensures a vibrant, competitive digital ecosystem for the future.”

The final report of the Digital Platform Services Inquiry concludes the ACCC’s five-year inquiry into digital platform services.

In announcing the final report, the ACCC said that without sufficient laws in place, Australian consumers and businesses continue to encounter a significant number of harmful practices across a range of digital platform services.

Says ACCC Chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb: “Digital platform services are critically important to Australian consumers and businesses and are major drivers of productivity growth in our economy.

“While these services have brought many benefits, they have also created harms that our current competition and consumer laws cannot adequately address. This is why we continue to recommend the targeted regulation of digital platform services is needed to increase competition and innovation and protect consumers in digital markets.”

For more on the IMAA’s advocacy efforts, visit: www.theimaa.com.au

Pictured (L-R): Sam Buchanan, CEO, IMAA; Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Chair, ACCC

 

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