The agreement will promote engagement and information sharing between the two agencies and assist with investigations and compliance with telecommunication laws in both countries.

The memorandum of understanding complements the 2020 Australia-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement to expand trade and economic ties in the region.

It follows similar agreements the ACMA has made with its regulatory counterparts in the USA, Canada, and New Zealand.

“The burgeoning digital economy sees growing international cooperation between regulators. This MOU, developed in connection with the Australia-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement, is an important step to address global issues that do not respect geographical boundaries for e.g., harms perpetrated by scams,” commented IMDA chief executive Lew Chuen Hong.

“The MOU forms the foundation for broadening collaboration, in the overall telecommunication and digital space, to ensure that it remains a trusted domain.”

ACMA research has found 98% of Australians received some form of unsolicited communication.

Scam calls were the most prevalent type of unwanted communication with four in 10 Australians receiving them at least weekly.

ACMA chair Nerida O’Loughlin was pleased to further strengthen the ACMA’s strong working relationship with the IMDA.

“This agreement will see us building stronger ties with our Singaporean counterparts to crack down on unsolicited calls and messages, particularly when cross-border issues are involved.”

This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 22 July 2022.