Australia’s media watchdog introduced new rules requiring organisations to register branded identifiers with their mobile operator as it cracks down scammers using text messages to impersonate brands.
Australian Communications and Media Authority chair Nerida O’Loughlin explained the SMS sender ID register, which goes into effect in the middle of 2026, means messages with unregistered sender IDs will appear in a single ‘unverified’ message thread on mobile phones, indicating it may be a scam.
Mobile operators and electronic message service providers will need to verify every business and organisation planning to use a sender ID and prove they have a valid reason for its use, she noted.
O’Loughlin urged businesses to contact their mobile operator about the new requirements.
The measures also require participating providers to inform their business customers about registration requirements and educate consumers about what to expect when the register goes live on 1 July.
The government began work in late 2024 to introduce a mandatory SMS sender ID register, initially targeting a launch in late 2025.
