The ACCC’s enforcement priorities for 2026 combine a number of important new developments with a strong continuation of long‑standing enforcement focus areas. While the introduction of the mandatory merger clearance regime and proposed reforms targeting unfair trading practices and “dark patterns” represent significant changes for many businesses, the ACCC has also made clear that it will continue to prioritise core issues such as misleading pricing, cartel conduct, misuse of market power, environmental claims and conduct that disproportionately harms vulnerable consumers. Taken together, the message for businesses is not that the rules have been rewritten wholesale, but that existing competition laws are being enforced more rigorously in an increasingly complex commercial environment.
Following our recent ACCC Priorities webinar, this article summarises the key developments, answers some of the audience’s most common questions raised, and outlines what businesses should be doing now to manage risk.
Authors:
Tom Griffith, Partner
Email: tgriffith@piperalderman.com.au
Andrew Rankin, Partner
Email: arankin@piperalderman.com.au