Australia and Singapore will unite in the fight against unsolicited telemarketing, spam and scams following an agreement between the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA).
The new strategic agreement will promote further engagement and information-sharing between the two agencies and assist with investigations and compliance with telecommunications laws in both countries.
This memorandum of understanding (MOU) complements the 2020 Australia-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement to expand trade and economic ties in our region. It follows similar agreements the ACMA has made with its regulatory counterparts in the USA, Canada and New Zealand.
Research conducted by the ACMA in 2021 found that 98 per cent of Australians received some form of unsolicited communication. Scam calls were the most prevalent type of unwanted communication, with 4 in 10 Australians receiving them at least weekly.
ACMA Chair Nerida O'Loughlin said she was pleased to further strengthen the ACMA's strong working relationship with the IMDA.
"Almost every Australian is impacted by unwanted calls, SMS and emails, and we know that many of our international colleagues are dealing with the same issues" Ms O'Loughlin said.
"This agreement will see us building stronger ties with our Singaporean counterparts to crack down on unsolicited calls and messages, particularly when cross-border issues are involved."
Mr Lew Chuen Hong, Chief Executive of IMDA said "Scams is a global issue that do not respect geographical boundaries. This MOU is an important step for the international community to join forces and tackle this issue decisively. I am happy to join in this partnership with our Australian counterparts and together, the MOU will benefit the citizens of our both countries and increase trust in our telecommunication systems."
