Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

What Australian Competition and Consumer Commission does

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is a Commonwealth statutory authority established in 1995 and headquartered in Canberra, Australia. It serves as Australia's national competition, consumer, fair trading, and product safety regulator, operating under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 with statutory enforcement powers including Federal Court action, infringement notices, enforceable undertakings, and penalties of up to $10 million or 10% of annual turnover. The ACCC serves all Australian consumers and businesses, with no paying customers; it is funded entirely through Australian government appropriations rather than commercial revenue. Its primary segments are Australian Consumers (requiring protection from misleading conduct, unsafe products, and scams), Australian Businesses of all sizes (requiring competition compliance, merger notification, and adherence to industry codes), and Government and Regulatory Bodies (requiring inter-agency coordination).

The ACCC's operational portfolio includes seven core functions: Scamwatch (consumer-facing scam reporting and alerts), the National Anti-Scam Centre (cross-sector coordination hub for scam disruption), Product Safety Australia (recall notifications and product safety compliance), the Consumer Data Right framework (data portability across banking, energy, and telecommunications), the mandatory Merger Control Regime (effective 1 January 2026), Public Registers (transparency portal for regulatory decisions), and the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct (mandatory industry code). In 2025, the ACCC received 481,523 scam reports representing over $2 billion in consumer losses. Technology infrastructure is government-standard (website acccc.gov.au, online registers, Scamwatch portal, social media presence), with no disclosed proprietary technology platforms or commercial products.

The ACCC's business model is government appropriations-based, with no commercial revenue, pricing model, or paying customer base. Distribution occurs through digital channels (website, online registers, email), media engagement, public speeches, conferences, and formal Federal Court proceedings. Strategic partnerships include the Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG) for cross-regulator coordination, a shared services arrangement with the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), and collaboration with the Reserve Bank of Australia on payment system reforms. Sub-brands include Scamwatch, National Anti-Scam Centre, Product Safety Australia, and the Consumer Data Right.

Name

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Legal name

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Website

https://accc.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is Australia's national statutory regulator enforcing competition, consumer protection, fair trading, and product safety laws for all Australian consumers, businesses, and government stakeholders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Competition and Consumer Regulation

NAICS

Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (926130)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition/Antitrust & Market Conduct Regulators (BPAIAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer Protection & Product Safety Regulators (BPAIAOAE), Competition Policy, State Aid & Public Procurement Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAO)

Keywords

• Competition regulation
• Consumer protection
• Merger control
• Market enforcement
• Regulatory compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Canberra

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The ACCC enforces the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and related legislation, regulating competition, consumer protection, and product safety across the Australian economy. Its core activities include merger and acquisition reviews, consumer protection enforcement, industry code administration (such as the Food and Grocery Code), price monitoring in regulated sectors, product safety regulation, and the operation of programs including Scamwatch, the National Anti-Scam Centre, the Consumer Data Right, and public registers.

Product overview

The ACCC is Australia's national competition, consumer, fair trading, and product safety regulator. It does not offer commercial products but provides regulatory services including consumer protection enforcement, competition law enforcement, product safety oversight, and scam prevention through Scamwatch and the National Anti-Scam Centre. The ACCC administers the mandatory merger control regime, enforces industry codes like the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct, and operates public registers for transparency. Key consumer-facing services include Product Safety Australia, the Consumer Data Right framework, and various reporting mechanisms for consumer and business issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Scamwatch: A division of ACCC focused on helping Australians recognise, avoid and report scams.
• National Anti-Scam Centre
• Product Safety Australia
• Consumer Data Right (CDR)

Products and services

• Scamwatch
• National Anti-Scam Centre
• Product Safety Australia
• Consumer Data Right (CDR)
• Merger Control Regime
• Food and Grocery Code
• Public Registers

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG)coreOthers · 18 June 2026The ACCC is a member of DP-REG, a forum of Australian regulatory bodies that signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen coordination in overseeing digital platforms. The agreement formalizes information sharing and coordinated regulatory responses on cross-cutting issues including scams, privacy, online safety, and competition concerns.
• Australian Energy Regulator (AER)coreOthersThe ACCC shares staff, resources, and facilities with the AER, Australia's national energy market regulator. Both bodies work together under common objectives to protect, strengthen, and supplement competitive market processes.
• Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA)strategicOthersCollaboration on payment system reforms including card surcharges ban enforcement. The ACCC has an enforcement unit established to monitor compliance with new debit and credit card surcharge regulations coordinated with RBA's payment system oversight.
• Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers AssociationminorOthersIndustry body that the ACCC engages with regarding fuel price monitoring and ensuring excise reductions are passed to consumers during the Middle East conflict period.
• Scam Prevention Framework PartnerscoreOthersThe ACCC leads the National Anti-Scam Centre and coordinates with designated sectors including telecommunications, banking, digital platforms, and government agencies under the Scam Prevention Framework to combat scams affecting Australians.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New Zealand Commerce Commission: New Zealand's competition, consumer, and economic regulator enforcing the Commerce Act and Fair Trading Act. Closest geographic peer with overlapping small-market jurisdiction and similar enforcement style.
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC): The US federal competition and consumer protection agency. The closest international counterpart to ACCC, enforcing antitrust law and consumer protection with overlapping powers on misleading conduct, mergers, and product safety.
• European Commission - DG COMP: The EU's competition directorate enforcing Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and reviewing cross-border mergers. Comparable in scale and remit to ACCC, with longer precedent on digital platform enforcement through the Digital Markets Act.
• Competition Bureau Canada: Canada's federal competition agency enforcing the Competition Act including merger review, cartel enforcement, and misleading advertising provisions. Direct functional peer covering similar Commonwealth-style legal framework.
• Competition and Markets Authority (CMA): The UK's primary competition and consumer authority with concurrent competition, consumer protection, and merger control mandates. Most directly comparable international peer in terms of integrated competition/consumer remit.

Others

• Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC): Australia's corporate, markets, and financial services regulator. Sister agency to ACCC with overlapping jurisdiction over financial product mis-selling and corporate conduct, frequently coordinating on enforcement priorities.

Broad incumbents

• Bundeskartellamt (German Federal Cartel Office): Germany's federal competition authority with strong powers over digital markets and abuse of dominance cases. Comparable in its digital platform enforcement leadership and merger review role to ACCC's expanded mandate.
• Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC): Japan's national competition authority enforcing the Antimonopoly Act and guiding consumer protection. Comparable in scale and integrated mandate, though operating within a distinct legal tradition.

Emerging players

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): US consumer financial protection agency with enforcement and rulemaking powers over consumer credit, debt collection, and financial products. Partial overlap with ACCC's consumer protection work in banking and debt collection.

Regional players

• Korean Fair Trade Commission (KFTC): South Korea's national competition authority with broad powers over abuse of dominance and conglomerate (chaebol) oversight. Comparable in aggressive enforcement style but operates in a distinct Asian regulatory context.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acccgovau
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@acccgovau
• Facebookfacebook.com/ACCCConsumerRights
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accc
• Instagraminstagram.com/acccgovau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Competition and Consumer Commission