Statement of arrangements under subsection 484J, as required by subsection 484K, of the Telecommunications Act 1997
To enable the efficient and effective operation of the SMS Sender ID Register, on 31 October 2025, the Acting Chair of the ACMA arranged for the use, with appropriate oversight, of computer programs to take specific limited administrative actions under subsection 484J(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997. These arrangements are set out in the table below. These actions involve approval decisions based on objective criteria and will not be used for refusals or decisions which require the ACMA to exercise discretion.
The ACMA applies a risk-based framework to assure that these decisions are appropriately made. If an automated decision is found to be incorrect, the ACMA will make a substitute decision and notify the entity involved. The ACMA also has powers to revoke an entity’s approval, or remove a sender ID from the register if warranted.
| Subsection | Administrative action | Arrangement |
|---|---|---|
| 484F(5) – Approval to participate | Make a decision, in writing, to grant an entity approval to participate in the register, if the application complies with subsection 484F(3) of the Act, including complying with any requirements determined under subsection 484L(1) of the Act for the purposes of this section. | The ACMA may use computer programs to grant approval to submitted applications that meet the requirements in subsection 484F(3) of the Act, including the requirements specified in the SMS Sender ID Register (Application, Access and Administration) Determination 2025, made under section 484L of the Act. |
| 484F(8) – Written notice to approve or revoke participation |
Give a written notice of a decision made under subsection 484F(5) of the Act to grant approval, or subsection 484F(7) of the Act to revoke approval. The notice must include a statement about review rights (for revocations), and if the decision was made by the operation of a computer program, state that the decision was made by the operation of a computer program. |
The ACMA may use computer programs to automatically send a notice if an application is granted approval under subsection 484F(5) of the Act, as well as for certain revocation notices (noting a decision to revoke a sender ID cannot be made by a computer program). The notice includes a statement about review rights (for revocations) and states that the decision was made by a computer program. |
| 484G(4) – Approval of sender IDs | Make a decision in writing to accept one or more sender IDs specified in an application, if they meet criteria specified in a determination made under section 484L of the Act, and the application complies with subsection 484G(2) of the Act. | The ACMA may use computer programs to grant approval to submitted applications to register sender IDs that meet the criteria specified in the SMS Sender ID Register (Application, Access and Administration) Determination 2025, made under section 484L of the Act, and the application complies with subsection 484G(2) of the Act. |
| 484G(8) – Written notice to approve applications to register sender IDs |
Give a written notice of a decision to accept one or more sender IDs specified in an application. The notice must include a statement about review rights, and if the decision was made by the operation of a computer program, state that the decision was made by the operation of a computer program. |
The ACMA may use computer programs to automatically send a notice if an application is granted approval under subsection 484G(4) of the Act. The notice includes a statement about review rights and states that the decision was made by a computer program. |