The Digital Platform Regulators Forum has set algorithmic impacts, greater digital transparency, and further collaboration between the parties as priorities for the next year.
The forum - made up of representatives from the ACMA, ACCC, OAIC and the Australian eSafety Commissioner - agreed to the new collective set of priorities for 2022/23 earlier this week.
It first came together in March this year to determine the best approach towards competition, consumer protection, privacy, online safety and data regulation issues when it comes to oversight of digital platforms.
As part of its digital transparency focus, the forum will seek to improve how consumer data is used and what digital platforms are doing to address misinformation.
ACMA chair Nerida O'Loughlin said the forum will work together “so that digital platforms’ response to public concerns around significant issues like disinformation is more transparent and effective.”
A statement by the ACCC said transparency issues are highly concerning to the forum “given the power and information asymmetries between digital platforms and users.”
Alongside current measures, the forum will address these issues by reviewing existing terms and conditions, analysing public reports and potentially introducing further regulatory or enforcement action.
The priorities will also see the forum look closely into the development and use of algorithms by digital players.
Algorithmic recommendations and profiling, moderation algorithms, promotion of disinformation, harmful content and product ranking and display on digital platforms like online marketplaces will be areas of focus.
ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said the forum’s efforts would feed into it own ongoing review of digital platforms.
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