Regulatory Body, ACMA, Drives Focus on Scam Guidelines with Symbio
In a recent development, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has ordered Symbio Wholesale Pty Limited and Symbio Networks Pty Ltd to comply with Australia's phone scam rules. The directive comes after the communication service providers were found to have breached the rules in 2023.
ACMA Member Samatha Yorke expressed concern about Symbio's past non-compliance with scam rules, as a similar issue was found in 2022. Yorke stated that Symbio Wholesale did not provide timely notifications about scam calls to other telcos, compromising their ability to take rapid action against scams.
Symbio acknowledges receipt of ACMA's directions to comply with the Industry Code C661:2022 Reducing Scam Calls and Scam SMS. The company has cooperated fully with ACMA's recent investigation and has taken steps to remediate the issues identified in its past non-compliance.
As a transit provider, Symbio identifies calls with scam-like patterns and works with partners to investigate and block them when required. However, the company failed to promptly share information about scam calls with other telcos and the ACMA on multiple occasions.
The Reducing Scam Calls and Scam SMs Industry Code places information-sharing obligations on telcos once they identify scam calls and when they are notified of scams by other telcos. These information-sharing processes enable rapid scam identification and disruption across the networks.
All telcos must monitor, investigate, trace, and block scams and quickly share information to prevent scams reaching the public. Telcos face penalties of up to AUD250,000 for breaching ACMA directions to comply with industry codes.
Yorke stated that ACMA will closely monitor Symbio's compliance with the rules and may take stronger action if future non-compliance is discovered. The new managing director of Symbio Wholesale Pty Limited or Symbio Networks Pty Ltd since the breach of Australia's phone scam rules in 2023 has not been publicly disclosed.
Symbio remains committed to reducing scam calls to protect the public and best serve the interests of the industry. The company has not been suggested to have perpetrated these scams, but they did not meet their obligations as required by the ACMA.
The ACMA's actions underscore the importance of compliance with phone scam rules and the role of information sharing in preventing scams. As more communication service providers come under scrutiny, the industry is expected to strengthen its efforts to combat phone scams.
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