The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has fined mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Circles.Life, owned by Circles Australia, $253,080 for breaching the integrated public number database (IPND) rules.
ACMA discovered that the MVNO failed to provide customer information to the IPND for over 60,000 customers between January and August 2022. The IPND is a central database of listed phone numbers, critical to emergency services, law enforcement, and national security agencies, among others.
ACMA found that Circles.Life’s IT system error was the cause of the breach, which prevented its IPND data files from uploading, and the company failed to check its IPND data regularly. As part of the penalty, Circles.Life will undergo an independent review of its IPND compliance practices to make necessary improvements.
The MVNO has assured the ACMA that it will work with them to ensure compliance in the future. Circles.Life paid nearly $300,000 in penalties last year when the ACMA found the company lacked adequate multi-factor ID checks, leading to customer fraud. The ACMA has imposed almost $4 million in penalties on 31 telcos for IPND non-compliance since 2018, including Telstra, Lycamobile, and Aussie Broadband.