Be seen, not screened: New anti-scam SMS regulations

Australia’s telecom regulator, ACMA, is proposing a new mandatory SMS Sender ID Register to fight SMS spoofing and scams. 

If adopted, this will significantly impact how and when you can use custom Sender IDs (e.g. alphanumeric retailer names, rather than a display phone number) when sending SMS to Australian numbers.

Here's what retailers need to know.

When is it happening?

If implemented, Sender IDs will be required by 15 December 2025.

How will this affect retailers?

You must ensure your Sender ID is registered with ACMA, via your SMS provider.

If not registered, your message will either:

• Be over-stamped with “Likely SCAM” (i.e. replace your Sender ID with that label), or
• Blocked entirely if sent via a non-registered carrier.

International businesses will be impacted most. If they don’t have an Australian business presence (e.g. ABN), they won’t be able to register, and messages may be blocked or flagged.

What additional compliance is involved?

Most of the compliance is placed on the telco carriers and SMS providers (e.g. Twilio). However, you may notice some more information being required from you than before.

Registering Sender IDs - SMS providers will need to:

• Be a registered carrier or CSP with the ACMA.
• Register each of your Sender IDs by 15 Dec 2025.
• Show a valid use case (proof that you, the sender, have rights to the name).

Telcos and carriers must also support other technical requirements such as tracing scam messages and incident reporting of security breaches.

International impact - If a business does not have an Australian Business Number (ABN) (for instance, an overseas retailer), then they cannot obtain a Sender ID and therefore:

• the SMS might not be delivered, or
• the SMS will be flagged as “Likely SCAM” even if legitimate.

I feel like I already have a Sender ID?

There was already a voluntary system in place for SMS providers to provide a Sender ID service on a voluntary basis. This process was not mandatory, was administered by the operators themselves, and no penalties applied. It also did not exclude international senders who did not hold an ABN from sending SMS messages.

This new scheme will be mandatory, administered by the regulator (ACMA) and carry penalties for carriers.

What’s likely to change for SMS campaigns?

Your SMS provider may require more information from you before you can get a Sender ID: this will include your ABN, as well as a valid use case for using the desired ID term (e.g. that you own the brand).

If you are an international business without an Australian Business Number (ABN), you may need to consider the benefits of having one (we suggest you seek advice on this).

The bright side

It’s not all bad news. Looking on the bright side: 

There will be more scrutiny on who is sending texts, particularly scammers using a retailer’s brand to send scam texts to unsuspecting customers.

It will be harder for a third party to get your brand as a Sender ID, meaning your risk of brand infringement in the SMS space is reduced without you having to lift a finger.

However, the biggest impact is likely to be on international businesses looking to contact their Australian customer base via SMS, as without an Australian Business Number, SMS messages will be significantly impacted.

This article is prepared for general information only, and is not intended to be legal advice. Please contact your own internal or external legal team for specific advice.