Watchdog Recap | 2025 ACCC in Review

Welcome to the Maddocks Watchdog Recap 2025, our 10th annual examination of enforcement and regulatory activity by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). To mark a decade of delivering this report, we have included a special wrap-up of some of the ACCC's high and low enforcement moments.

This year's chapters highlight the key developments, major reforms and significant cases that shaped competition and consumer law in 2025, as well as what lies ahead. This year’s report explores areas undergoing substantial change, including consumer markets, retail and franchising, and merger reform. Our specialist lawyers also examine priority focus areas, such as cost-of-living pressures and essential services. In a rapidly evolving enforcement environment, we provide clear guidance on the critical developments you need to know to stay informed.

• Watchdog Recap 2025 - What’s happened & what’s ahead

  By

  • Shaun Temby

  This year marks a milestone: the tenth edition of our ACCC Year in Review publication.

• A decade on – the ACCC’s highs and lows

  By

  • Shaun Temby

  We’ve tracked the ACCC’s evolution from a focused competition and consumer protection enforcer to a multidisciplinary market steward.

• Franchising Sector and the Code of Conduct

  By

  • Greg Hipwell
  &
  • Mira Martin

  The franchising sector will continue to adjust to the New Franchising Code of Conduct.

• Consumer Markets and Retail

  By

  • Shaun Temby

  In 2025, the ACCC made solid progress on its stated priorities for the consumer market and retail sector.

• Misleading or deceptive advertising

  By

  • Shaun Temby
  &
  • Elizabeth Ireland

  The past year has seen the ACCC’s focus firmly on major structural reform with the advent of the new merger control regime.

• Cartel and anti-competitive conduct

  By

  • Gina Wilson
  ,
  • Jacinta Atkinson
  &
  • Olivia Dalton

  2025 was another relatively quiet year for the enforcement of cartel and other anti-competitive conduct by the ACCC, despite such conduct remaining an enduring priority of the ACCC.

• Mergers

  By

  • Wolfgang Hellmann

  The ACCC has maintained its vigilance in applying the competition test to scrutinise and impose conditions on or even prevent deals that it believes substantially lessen competition.

• Product Safety

  By

  • Christopher Marsh

  It was a milestone year for the ACCC in product safety, as it commenced its first Federal Court proceedings relating to breaches of the button battery mandatory standards.

• Cost of living

  By

  • Rebecca Power

  While the ACCC pursued (limited) enforcement action to reduce cost of living, it faced challenges in the short term.

• Essential Services: Energy

  By

  • Peter Limbers
  ,
  • Christopher Marsh
  ,
  • Alena Stirton
  ,
  • Hannah Beaven
  &
  • Mac Middleton

  Throughout 2025, the energy sector continues to present a broad range of competition and consumer law issues.

• Essential Services: Telecommunication

  By

  • Sonia Sharma
  ,
  • Shivani Thirayan
  &
  • Isabella Dissing

  Telecommunication services continue to be an essential part of today’s digital economy, with competition and the issues arising from misleading pricing and claims remaining a key enforcement priority.

• Customer Data and Digital Platforms Inquiry

  By

  • Sonia Sharma
  ,
  • Nashita Samy
  &
  • Isabella Dissing

  Competition, consumer, and fair trading issues within the digital economy continue to be a key enforcement priority for the ACCC, given the critical role that digital platforms play in the economy.