O’Loughlin remaining as ACMA chair two more years

The government has announced it’s reappointed Nerida O’Loughlin as the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) chair, for two more years.  

The reappointment takes effect 14 October and was announced by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.

In a media release, Rowland highlighted O’Loughlin’s work making the ACMA more responsive, strengthening consumer safeguards, establishing the Scams Telecommunications Action Taskforce, and its work on 5G spectrum allocations.

The ACMA has also taken on new regulatory efforts, including working in the Digital Platform Regulators Forum to combat misinformation on digital platforms, as well as online gambling and media regulation.

O’Loughlin’s tenure also saw the ACMA introduce regulations to help battle SMS scams, and to better protect customers from number porting scams. 

Congratulating O’Loughlin on her reappointment, Rowland said: “Since her appointment in 2017, Ms O’Loughlin has spearheaded Government responses to the challenges arising in our increasingly digitised and interconnected society – from misinformation and disinformation on digital platforms, through to helping protect Australians from scams.

“Her work to support media and communications organisations during the pandemic was invaluable.”