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The Latest Breaking News from ACCC

Google Slapped With $36 Million Fine Amid Anti-Competitive Practices In Australia

Alphabet‘s Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) has agreed to pay a hefty fine of $36 million in Australia. This comes after allegations of anti-competitive practices involving the country’s two largest telecom companies.

Google cops $55m fine for search engine deals on phones

Google cops $55m fine for search engine deals on phones

Google engaged in anti-competitive behaviour when it asked telcos to install only its search engine on phones, Australia's competition watchdog says.

Qantas cancels flights at double the rate of Virgin, competition watchdog finds

Qantas cancels flights at double the rate of Virgin, competition watchdog finds

Airlines have also been raising fares despite downward pressure on costs from falling jet fuel prices, ACCC says

The Guardian - AU

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From ‘reef-friendly’ sunscreens to ‘sustainable’ super, greenwashing allegations are rife. Here’s how the claims stack up

Going “green” is not just good for the environment and climate, it can also be great for business. Consumers increasingly demand eco-friendly goods and services, and are willing to pay more for them.

The Conversation

Online shoppers warned of ‘dangerous’ weight-loss scam as ‘ghost stores’ impersonate real people to sell Ozempic-like treatments

Dietitian Lyndi Cohen says her likeness is being ‘abused and misrepresented’ as websites posing as Australian businesses claim to offer GLP-1 substances

The Guardian - AU

Bumpy ride for Webjet after $9m false advertising fine

Online travel agency Webjet has been ordered to pay $9 million in penalties for misleading customers about the price of flights and booking confirmations.

Will my private health insurance cover my surgery? What if my claim is rejected?

The Australian Competition Consumer Commission (ACCC) has fined Bupa A$35 million for unlawfully rejecting thousands of health insurance claims over more than five years.

The Conversation

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Are ‘ghost stores’ haunting your social media feed? How to spot and avoid them

Are ‘ghost stores’ haunting your social media feed? How to spot and avoid them

The offer pops up in your social media feed. The website is professional and the imagery illustrates an Australian coastal region, or chic inner-CBD scene.

The Conversation

Australia’s Consumer Watchdog Warns Of ‘Ghost Stores’ Scamming Online Shoppers

Australia’s Consumer Watchdog Warns Of ‘Ghost Stores’ Scamming Online Shoppers

Australia's consumer watchdog has warned of alleged "ghost stores" scamming shoppers with misleading ads and dodgy products.

Australian consumer watchdog issues public warning about ‘ghost stores’ and urges Meta and Shopify to crack down

Australian consumer watchdog issues public warning about ‘ghost stores’ and urges Meta and Shopify to crack down

ACCC says asking e-commerce platforms to act is more effective than traditional enforcement, given operators are mostly overseas and difficult to identify

The Guardian - AU

Banana Boat & Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreens Sued By ACCC For Alleged Greenwashing

Banana Boat & Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreens Sued By ACCC For Alleged Greenwashing

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has accused Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic of greenwashing in its products.

An impending gas shortfall in eastern Australia? This is just gas market Groundhog Day

An impending gas shortfall in eastern Australia? This is just gas market Groundhog Day

The ACCC has been running an inquiry into the sector since 2017 and has been saying the same thing every year. The answer is obvious

The Guardian - AU

How Bupa Health Insurance 'Duped' Thousands Over Medical Claims – Were You Affected?

How Bupa Health Insurance 'Duped' Thousands Over Medical Claims – Were You Affected?

CEO Stone said that the company had prioritised communication and compensation for those affected, and has introduced measures to prevent similar mistakes in future.

International Business Times UK

Popular sunscreens accused of greenwashing by ACCC over ‘reef-friendly’ claims

Popular sunscreens accused of greenwashing by ACCC over ‘reef-friendly’ claims

Consumer regulator claims owner of Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat misled consumers but company stands by products

The Guardian - AU

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Health insurer fined for rejecting partial procedures

A private health giant admits to knocking back thousands of claims it should have covered, lumping customers with huge hospital fees.

The Guardian - AU

Chinese authority scams fleece international students in Australia of $5m in five months

National Anti-Scam Centre warns that fraudsters posing as Mandarin-speaking law enforcement officers are becoming more threatening

The Guardian - AU

‘We don’t want to go’: Australian couple told to pay $3,500 to postpone flights amid Middle East volatility

Experts say consumers are unlikely to have any legal rights to defer flights unless the airline’s fine print allows it

The Guardian - AU

Australian consumer watchdog takes gas company to court alleging it misled consumers over renewables claim

The ACCC says it launched investigation into Australian Gas Networks after complaints from consumers and conservation advocates

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Greenwashing lawsuit to test 'overstated' gas claims

Claims about the future of renewable gas will be tested in Federal Court after the competition regulator launched its biggest greenwashing lawsuit to date.

Call for laws to stop harm to consumers, firms online

Australian consumers and businesses are being harmed by the behaviour of tech giants in ways that cannot be addressed with current laws, a report has found.

The Good Guys in trouble over bad promotional scheme

A major retailer has reached a settlement with the consumer watchdog over a "StoreCash" promotion, which promised shoppers store credits for buying goods.

The Guardian - AU

Optus agrees to $100m penalty for selling phones to customers who couldn’t afford them or were out of range

Telco’s chief executive says company ‘failed customers’ and conduct was inexcusable

Optus Cops $100M Fine Over Sales Tactics To Vulnerable Customers: ‘Unacceptable’

Optus has been penalised for selling customers phones and contracts they didn't want or need, following court action brought by the ACCC.

Optus says yes to record $100m fine for dodgy sales

Optus has agreed to a record fine for "unconscionable" sales to hundreds of consumers, including in remote Indigenous communities its network didn't cover.

Only 4 Of 20 Popular Aussie Sunscreens Are Meeting The SPF Claims On Their Label, According To CHOICE

Australia's peak consumer advocacy group put 20 sunscreens to the test, finding most didn’t actually hit the SPF50 mark.

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