A new register designed to block SMS messages from scammers that spoof legitimate senders will be rolled out across the economy after enabling legislation passed through federal Parliament.
But the federal government remains undecided on whether the SMS Sender ID Register will be mandatory despite widespread in principle support from industry during a consultation earlier this year.
The Telecommunications Amendment (SMS ID Register) Bill sailed through the Senate late on Thursday without amendments, having passed the House of Representatives early last week.
The register will require telcos to check whether messages sent under a brand name correspond with the legitimate sender on the list, and either block the SMS or warn recipients about its origin.
It was funded with $10 million over four years in last year’s federal Budget, with a pilot launched in December to test the scheme with banks and government agencies, including the Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and Services Australia.
A similar scheme rolled out in Singapore has resulted in a 64 per cent decline in scam SMS messages, according to the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN).
Announcing passage of the bill late on Thursday, Communications minister Michelle Rowland said the new register would serve as an important tool in the fight against scammers and help protect consumers.
“The register will help build trust in communications from legitimate organisations and help make Australia an even harder place for scammers to operate,” Ms Rowland said in a statement.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority will now develop an industry standard, with the expectation that the full register will be in operation in late 2025, according to the bill’s explanatory memorandum.
The timeframe is influenced by the need for a “complex ICT mechanism capable of interacting with systems and process used by the telecommunications industry with robust privacy and security systems”.
A decision on whether the register will be voluntary or mandatory is scheduled for later this year and will be informed by detailed costing and analysis, Ms Rowland said introducing the bill in June.
Around 90 per cent of submissions to a consultation on the register earlier this year favoured mandatory registration of SMS Sender ID, but asked for further details on the model and costs involved.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.