The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has joined up with New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) to work together in the fight against spam and scam messages
Chair of ACMA, Nerida O’Loughlin said the two countries would enhance their ongoing joint efforts to combat unlawful spam and scams under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see them promoting strategic engagement, facilitating information sharing and enhancing compliance and enforcement outcomes.
“Just about everyone with a mobile phone or email address will understand the frustration that comes from unwanted spam and scams,” Ms O’Loughlin said.
“Research we conducted in 2021 shows 98 per cent of Australian adults receive unsolicited communications on their phone,” she said.
“The recent ‘FluBot’ malware scam affected both Australians and New Zealanders, and information sharing with our New Zealand counterparts has aided the ACMA’s spam and scam work.”
Ms O’Loughlin said the MoU, now in effect, would see ACMA’s already-close relationship with its New Zealand counterparts enhanced through more strategic cooperation.
NZ Secretary for Internal Affairs, Paul James said the new agreement lifted the already close cooperation between the two countries on spam to a new level.
“Phishing campaigns and malware delivered through spam continues to be an increasing challenge globally – working collaboratively with other international jurisdictions is a key way to tackle this issue and protect New Zealanders,” Mr James said.
“Enabling the Agencies to share intelligence, techniques and tools for combatting spam, as well as sharing information on phishing and malware delivered through spam demonstrates the close working relationship between the two regulators,” he said.
The two Agencies’ nine-page MoU can be accessed at this PS News link.
