This is the Business Council of Australia's (BCA) submission in response to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Issues Paper supporting the Digital Platforms Services Inquiry's March 2025 Final Report.

The BCA wants high-quality regulatory measures that enhance competition and protect consumers. As technology evolves, we must reassess legislative and regulatory frameworks and ensure they are fit for purpose. This purpose is to minimise harms and maximise benefits.

To meet this purpose, the government must ensure Australia's technology regulation is proportionate, targeted and coordinated across many already overlapping regulators, agencies, Departments, and policies. This will grow Australia's competitiveness, productivity and investment desirability, and maintain our position as a science and tech power.

Particularly concerning competition-related legislative developments internationally, Australia is in a fortunate position of being able to observe how effectively these regimes are functioning and whether they are delivering the outcomes intended. The government must take this opportunity to learn from overseas experience to avoid unintended outcomes and properly assess whether the frameworks are successful.

The BCA respectfully recommends caution and further analysis before new regulation of digital markets in Australia is implemented, particularly in nascent and highly dynamic emerging areas such as generative artificial intelligence (Al) technologies.

Read our full submission here.