Struggling live music sector needs watchdog to crack down on anti-competitive practices, inquiry says https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/07/struggling-live-music-sector-needs-watchdog-to-crack-down-on-anti-competitive-practices-inquiry-says
Report urges changes to Australia’s consumer law to stamp out extreme dynamic pricing and improve transparency of fees and charges #musicbiz #consumerrights #competition #auslaw #auspol

'Arrogance is astounding': Microsoft hikes subscription prices causing consumer backlash https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-25/microsoft-365-subscription-price-hike-consumer-complaints-accc/104965682 #consumerrights #competition

"t can be challenging to sift through the flood of headlines and updates. We’re here to help make sense of that flood—starting with what we see happening with data during the first 30 days of the administration, including weakened oversight of U.S. surveillance, the elimination of consumer data protection tools, and improper access and misuse of data.

As the Trump administration concludes its first 30 days in office, three worrying trends emerge at the intersection of technology and democratic governance. New America’s Open Technology Institute has long championed democratically accountable tech policymaking, and over the past month, we have tracked federal actions that run counter to this objective:

- The weakening of oversight of U.S. government surveillance
- The elimination of institutions that protect American consumers and their data
- Systematic efforts to access some of America’s most vital data systems without regard for individual privacy or data security"

https://www.newamerica.org/oti/blog/trumps-tech-governance-making-sense-of-the-administrations-first-30-days/

#USA #Trump #Surveillance #ConsumerRights #Privacy #DataProtection #CyberSecurity

🧐 Uncovering the Lies: The Sarah Mae Ives Investigation You Need to See

The shocking truth about Sarah Mae Ives is finally coming to light. Allegations of fraudulent marketing, fake credentials, and the use of fraudulent copyright claims to silence critics are just the beginning.

🔗 Read the full investigation: https://cybercriminal.com/sarah-mae-ives

#SarahMaeIves #Exposed #Fraud #FitnessFraud #Censorship #ScamAlert #InvestigativeJournalism #ConsumerRights #Accountability #FalseAdvertising

In response to concerns raised by customers of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, Melbourne-based class action law firm Gordon Legal last month announced it was undertaking an investigation into allegations of “deceptive, misleading or unconscionable conduct” which “may have inflated” the price of tickets for performances and events in Australia.
https://www.channelnews.com.au/a-class-action-is-being-prepared-in-oz-against-ticketmaster-and-live-nation/
“We have been contacted by customers who are concerned that they have paid more than they should have for event tickets. We are investigating their concerns, including how ‘dynamic pricing’ is influencing the cost of tickets in Australia,” said James Naughton, Class Actions Partner at Gordon Legal.
“The focus of our investigation relates to whether any laws designed to protect consumers have been breached.”
#auslaw #auspol #consumerrights #competition