ACMA fines telco a record $2.5 million for customer privacy breaches

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ACMA fines telco a record $2.5 million for customer privacy breaches

2 yrs ago

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) today announced that telecommunications company Telstra has been fined $2.5 million for mishandling the private information of around 50,000 customers.

Specifically, Telstra failed to handle requests on almost 50,000 occasions from customers in relation to silent or unlisted number requests.

Furthermore, almost 65,000 similar incidents occured with customers of the Belong service.

Why were they fined so much you may ask? These incidents exposed customers to risks in relation to emergencies such as bushfires or kidnappings as well as publicly revealing private information.

Do you think $2.5 million is a big enough fine? Or is it just pocket change to Telstra?

5 comments

RnR

2 yrs ago

How pathetic of Telstra.

Suze

2 yrs ago

It will make very little difference to Telstra but I guess my share dividend will probably go down.

The Bronze Anzac

2 yrs ago

Telstra is very high on my Top 10 List of "Australia's Greatest Thieves". Always has been, & apparently always will be.

Horace Cope

2 yrs ago

Well, their profit for 2021 was $1.9B so a fine of 2.5M is about 0.13% of profit which, I suppose, is not a game changing fine. The problem is the same as traffic fines, a speeding fine of $280 (NSW) for exceeding the speed limit over 10 kph would mean a lot to an age pensioner but small change to someone on the average wage of $93,000+pa. Perhaps the answer is to fine as a percentage of profit/net pay or the posted fine, whichever is the greater.

ACMA fines telco a record $2.5 million for customer privacy breaches

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