Large telcos must follow all these rules now. Smaller telcos will need to follow these rules from 1 April 2026.You can find all large telcos listed in this table. Telcos not on this list are small telcos.
All telcos (large and small) must never ask you to contact or communicate with the perpetrator, or with anyone representing them for any reason, including changing accounts or sorting out debts.
Talking to your telco
Your telco must:
- check you are safe to talk before starting any conversation
- clearly tell you what support is available and how they can help you.
This includes:
- telling you if they have a team trained in domestic and family violence, and asking if you want to talk to them
- giving you information about domestic, family and sexual violence support organisations that can offer further help and advice
- letting you choose a safe way for contact.
Communicating with your telco
Your telco will explain all the different ways you can communicate with them (for example, phone, text, email, online chat). They will ask you:
- which method you prefer
- what time of day is safest for you.
If you choose a certain way and/or time to be contacted, they will only use that method of contacting you.
Listen and respect your safety
Your telco will:
- explain your situation for you if they need to transfer you to another person or team so you don’t have to repeat your story.
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Jane’s story – changing details without contacting her ex Jane experienced family violence. Her ex-partner coerced her into getting contracts in her name and she now has a debt for services and handsets that she does not use. Jane wants support so that she is no longer liable for the debt and contractual obligations. Jane’s telco cannot require Jane to contact her ex while resolving the issue. She does not have to attend a store in person with them, participate in a group call or contact them directly. |
Securing your privacy
Your telco must keep your information safe and protect your privacy.
They will:
- ask you about your privacy and security concerns and explain how they can help you make changes to keep you safe. These could include:
- setting up a completely new account that is not linked to the perpetrator, with a new number
- removing your existing number from an account that is linked to the perpetrator and transferring it to a new, unlinked account
- adding or changing account protections like a PIN or password on your account or sending a verification code to a ‘safe’ number or email address that the perpetrator does not have access to
- explain who can access your account and give you advice on changing your account information, including how to remove or change people that are authorised to view your account or act on your behalf
- store your details safely and protect them from being viewed or shared with anyone who should not have that information
- tell you if your account or personal information is affected by a privacy breach. Your telco must tell you within 2 days, or as soon as possible after that, using your preferred contact method, and give you contact details for domestic and family violence support service.
Calls to certain domestic and family violence support services will not appear on bills or other documents you receive. These numbers are:
- 1800RESPECT 1800 737 732
- 1800 ElderHelp 1800 353 374
- Full Stop 1800 385 578
- National Debt Helpline 1800 007 007
- National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline 1800 880 052
- Rainbow Sexual, Domestic and Family Violence Helpline 1800 497 212.
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Zee’s story – transferring their number to an account not linked to the perpetrator Zee experienced years of emotional and financial abuse. Their phone number was linked to their partner’s account. After they left the relationship, their partner called the telco and had their number blocked so they could not make or receive calls or messages, including to support services, essential government services and their bank. The telco worked with Zee to restore their service by transferring the number to a new account in their name. It also provided domestic and family violence support and guidance to help Zee keep the account and service safe and secure. |
Asking for evidence
Your telco should trust what you tell them and avoid asking you to prove your situation. Requests for evidence should be rare, respectfully handled and only used to protect your safety and privacy.
Your telco will only ask for evidence if:
- the law requires it – for example, a court order or police request
- they need to prevent misuse of services – to protect you or someone else from a scam or further abuse.
Before asking for anything, they should review their internal records to see if the information is already there.
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Kevin’s story – support without providing evidence of abuse Kevin contacts his telco seeking help with a large outstanding debt. He discloses that he is experiencing domestic and family violence and suspects his former partner has used multiple services under his name without his consent and is concerned that he will be liable for the debt. Instead of requesting evidence, Kevin’s telco reviews internal account records and identifies devices linked to Kevin’s account, usage patterns and locations inconsistent with his known address and service changes that do not follow his typical behaviour. Based on this information, the telco sees that there is a reasonable basis to support Kevin’s claim of economic abuse and takes action to place a hold on credit management and separate the disputed services from his account. |
Domestic, family and sexual violence support
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Support is available when you are ready. For free confidential help, contact 1800RESPECT (24/7) on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT. |