Ombudsman Applauds New Domestic Violence Rules
Today the Government announced the Telecommunications (Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence) Industry Standard 2025 (DFSV Standard). The rules will be rolled out in stages, with most set to become mandatory from 1 July 2025. The DFSV Standard raises the bar for consumer protections for victim-survivors, including by requiring telcos to:
As stated by Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert:
“The new rules ensure that some of Australia’s most vulnerable people are getting the meaningful support they deserve and are now entitled to expect.”
“Now when a victim-survivor calls their telco, they can be connected to specialised staff right away. This change is critical and will make a difference for victim-survivors struggling to get tailored support. We’ve seen too many complaints like this, and it can make a bad situation much worse.”
“I’m pleased to see mandatory obligations on telcos to support victim-survivors to stay connected when there is a safety concern and when they need it most. Guardrails like this are essential for preventing further harm to victim-survivors. We’ve seen complaints where victim-survivors were at risk because they couldn’t contact support teams or emergency services, or where their security cameras stopped working after their internet has been cut off.”
https://www.tio.com.au/news/ombudsman-welcomes-new-domestic-family-and-sexual-violence-rules