The Australian Communications and Media Authority Compliance and Enforcement Priorities 2026-27
25 February 2026
What are the ACMA compliance and enforcement priorities?
Each year, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) announces the priority areas where it will monitor industry compliance and focus its enforcement efforts if there is non-compliance. The areas of focus are guided by issues that cause consumer harm or have a negative community impact.
On 20 February 2026, the ACMA released for consultation its annual compliance and enforcement priorities for the 2026-27 work program. We expand on these priorities below.
Current priority compliance and enforcement areas
The ACMA will focus on the following five key areas:
- TV Prominence – supporting access to Australian TV
- Tackling the supply of dodgy devices
- Disrupting mobile number fraud
- Compliance with Triple Zero and public safety requirements, and
- Enforcing new rules to support telco consumers affected by domestic and family violence.[1]
1. TV prominence – supporting access to Australian TV
From 10 January 2026, device manufactures must comply with the requirements under the Broadcasting Services (Minimum Prominence Requirements) Regulations 2024, which require the pre-installation of certain Australian free-to-air broadcast TV apps. A manufacturer in breach of this requirement can be issued a civil penalty of up to 10,000 penalty units or 2% of its annual turnover. Further guidance on the framework can be found here.
2. Tackling the supply of dodgy devices
As part of the ACMA’s goal to protect consumers from non-compliant and illegal devices, it has introduced a voluntary Equipment Safety Pledge. As part of the voluntary pledge signatories are expected to, amongst other requirements, implement measures aimed at proactively preventing the listing of identified non-compliant and illegal devices. Signatories are also expected to provide an annual report to the ACMA on the actions they have taken to implement the various commitments.
3. Disrupting mobile number fraud
The Telecommunications (Mobile Number Pre-Porting Additional Identity Verification) Industry Standard 2020 sets out rules, amongst other things, requiring telecommunication providers to follow certain steps, such as verifying individual’s identity before porting a mobile number. The ACMA will focus its enforcement powers on ensuring telecommunication providers comply with their fraud prevention obligations.
4. Compliance with Triple Zero and public safety requirements
In 2025, the ACMA committed itself to a compliance priority to safeguard Triple Zero emergency call services, focusing on emergency calls being successfully carried to emergency services.[2] As part of this initiative, the ACMA implemented new determinations including the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019, which we discuss in our article here and expanded powers to the ACMA in a previous article here. The ACMA suggests that this year it will focus on ensuring telecommunication providers are implementing and adhering to the new rules, particularly as it is equipped with expanded powers under the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) Act 2025.
5. Enforcing new rules to support telco consumers affected by domestic and family violence
From 1 July 2025, obligations were enforceable under the ACMA’s Telecommunications (Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Consumer Protections) Industry Standard 2025. A key obligation included in this Standard is the requirement that telecommunication providers must reverse disconnections, suspension and service restrictions if a customer makes an urgent request because of a domestic and family violence-related safety risk.[3] The ACMA has indicated that this year its focus will be on monitoring industry’s implementation of the new rules.
Enduring priorities from 2024-25
In 2024-25 the ACMA also introduced enduring priorities, which were recognised as ’long-term focus on matters of significant and ongoing harm to the Australian community’.[4] These enduring priorities include:
- protecting vulnerable telecommunication customers
- minimising gambling harms, and
- combating spam and telecommunications scams.
Alongside its compliance and enforcement priorities this year, the ACMA will continue to ensure the above priorities are monitored. Organisations in relevant industries should review their current practices and ensure they are meeting any existing or new obligations.
Conclusion
Key stakeholders including consumers and industry are encouraged to engage and provide feedback during the consultation period, which is open until 20 March 2026. Organisations should ensure they are across the ACMA’s priorities and have plans in place to address any compliance and enforcement areas that impact them.
[1] Australian Communications and Media Authority, (consultation paper), 20 February 2026, ‘Compliance and enforcement priorities 2026-27, Consultation Paper’ acma_compliance_and_enforcement_priorities_2026-27_consultation_paper.pdf.
[2] Australian Communications and Media Authority, (website), last updated 27 June 2025, ‘Compliance priorities 2024-25,’ https://www.acma.gov.au/compliance-priorities-2024-25.
[3] ss13(3),(4),(5) Telecommunications (Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Consumer Protections) Industry Standard 2025.
[4] Australian Communications and Media Authority, (consultation paper), 20 February 2026, ‘Compliance and enforcement priorities 2026-27, Consultation Paper’ acma_compliance_and_enforcement_priorities_2026-27_consultation_paper.pdf.
