Rod Sims, the chairman of the ACCC, said Australia’s low penalties were clearly failing as a deterrent. While the those countries calculate penalties based on the size of the company and its turnover, Australian courts look at “an ‘instinctive synthesis’ of various factors”. Sims said the ACCC would now begin pursuing penalties in the hundreds of millions, closer to Australia’s maximum of 10% turnover. ACCC will have power to grill Google and Facebook on threat to news media Read moreUnder Australian law, penalties are set by the courts but the ACCC submits claims for penalties in their submissions. Sims also said the ACCC would become less willing to settle, as it seeks to change the norm regarding higher penalties.

Source: The Guardian March 25, 2018 16:52 UTC