Australia’s communications regulator forged updated agreements with a host of international counterparts to tackle the threat of spam and SMS scams through closer cooperation and information sharing.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) renewed a MoU with agencies in New Zealand, South Korea, Canada, the Netherlands and the UK as part of the global Unsolicited Communications Enforcement Network (UCENet).

UCENet meets in the Republic of Ireland this week, its first in-person since the onset of the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

ACMA stated the MoU provides for further engagement and information sharing between agencies, and will assist it with investigations and compliance operations related to cross-border scams and unsolicited communications.

“This agreement sees us build on already strong ties with our international colleagues to crack down on unsolicited calls and messages, particularly when cross-border issues are involved,” ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin said.

“Unsolicited communications are an international problem and increased global cooperation is required to address the issue.”

Other UCENet MoU signatories are the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission; Korea Internet and Security Agency; Authority for Consumers and Markets in the Netherlands; UK Information Commissioner’s Office; Department of Internal Affairs in New Zealand; and Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

ACMA and New Zealand’s Department of Internal Affairs agreed to bolster efforts to combat spam and scams in 2022.