What Australian businesses should know about the Do Not Call Register, calling hours, the Privacy Act and ACMA before deploying an AI calling agent.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm requirements for your business with a qualified Australian adviser.
Using an AI agent to answer calls from your customers raises few telemarketing issues. Outbound marketing calls are regulated by the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 and enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
Numbers registered on the Do Not Call Register generally cannot receive telemarketing calls unless an exemption or consent applies. Businesses are expected to wash their lists against the register before calling.
The Telemarketing and Research Calls Industry Standard sets permitted hours: weekdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no calls on Sundays or public holidays. Callers must identify themselves and the business, and end the call when asked.
The Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles apply to personal information collected on calls. Tell callers about recording and AI use, store transcripts securely and keep them only as long as needed.
Disclose the automated assistant, screen lists against the register, respect time-zone-specific calling hours across states, provide an easy opt-out and a human handover. ZahrionTech builds these controls in; confirm the legal basis of outbound programmes with your own adviser.