The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) has expressed concern over the poor handling of disputes by major digital platforms like Facebook and Amazon, urging them to improve their support for small businesses.
In the past year, complaints from small businesses against big tech companies have surged by 86%, with Meta's platforms—Facebook and Instagram—responsible for 73% of disputes in the last three months. Most of these involved accounts being hacked. Uber also accounted for 17% of incidents, with many complaints related to unpaid drivers.
ASBFEO's Bruce Billson noted that in the past two years, the number of small businesses impacted by issues on digital platforms has more than doubled. He emphasized that while these platforms are vital for small businesses to reach customers, they often provide inadequate support when problems arise, such as when accounts are hacked or shut down. Instead of addressing these issues themselves, large tech companies place the burden on small businesses, forcing them to navigate complex systems to resolve their problems.
Billson criticized the tech giants for their lack of accessible customer support, often leaving small business owners frustrated and financially harmed due to lengthy delays in resolving disputes. He called for platforms to offer real, human assistance and establish clear and standardized procedures for dispute resolution.
Additionally, Billson's office has provided guidance on enhancing online security for businesses, advising them to treat their digital assets as securely as their physical ones by using measures like multifactor authentication, regular password updates, and software backups.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) also reported that Australians lost $2.74 billion to online scams in 2023, highlighting the need for improved cybersecurity measures across the board.
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