Support for establishing an organisation that best represents the interests of digital platforms users was called for by the Australian Communications Consumers Action Network. The consumer body has called the attention of the government and the industry to foster this cause.

The consumer body commissioned a survey conducted by Ipsos, and according to ACCAN acting CEO Andrew Williams, this survey revealed that consumers of digital platforms often feel restricted in raising complaints if they encounter a problem.

The survey also revealed that only 27% of Australian digital platform users believe that the government is doing everything to ensure that digital platforms are doing the right thing. Overall, the trust in digital platforms was low. This includes social media and online services as well as messaging apps.

Furthermore, only 32% of respondents agreed that digital platforms act in their best interests. 47% of the respondents disagreed. 79% believe that digital platforms should be held responsible for the content on their sites, and 74% believe that digital platform providers should make it easier for people to submit a complaint.

“Digital platforms are now a part of our everyday lives, from online marketplaces and job search sites to social media sites and dating apps. But the fact is that when things go wrong, making a complaint or having an issue resolved with the tech giants can feel like shouting into a void,” Williams said.

“If you experience an issue on a digital platform, you shouldn’t have to navigate through the maze of ‘providing feedback’, only to hear nothing back from the platform. Making a complaint should be a straightforward process and the digital platforms should follow up with users who have made a report to explain what actions were taken.”

Nevertheless, Williams recognised the government’s collaboration with industry to regulate harmful online content as a step towards the right direction. This is under the Online Safety Act 2021. But ACCAN still believes that the users of the platforms need to be brought into the conversation.

Williams said that “This can be best achieved by the government and digital platform industry working together to support an organisation that represents community interests on digital platform issues.”

“Importantly, we need to consider the broad perspectives of people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, First Nations peoples, young people, seniors, and people from regional, rural, and remote communities,” he further added.

“As the peak body for communications consumers, this is an approach that ACCAN has championed in the telecommunications space for over a decade.”