Telstra Fined $626,000 for Sending Over 10 Million Unsolicited Texts

In the past 18 months, Australian businesses have collectively paid over $16 million in penalties for spam-related breaches.

A Telstra store on Melbourne's central business district in Melbourne, Australia on June 20, 2018. William West/AFP via Getty Images

Telstra has agreed to a $626,000 penalty for violating Australian spam laws after sending nearly 10.5 million unsolicited text messages, many of which required recipients to provide personal details to opt out.

An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation revealed that between 2022 to 2024, Telstra sent 10,433,812 messages without consent, including 43,228 to Telstra’s “Belong” customers who had either not agreed to receive them or had withdrawn their consent.