Overview

• Political parties exploit legal exemptions to send unsolicited texts, bypassing anti-spam and privacy regulations without offering opt-out options.
• Clive Palmer’s Trumpet of Patriots has been a prominent user of mass text campaigns, drawing criticism from voters and analysts alike.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed opposition to the practice but stopped short of pledging legislative changes to ban such messages.
• Analysts describe campaign texts as intrusive and ineffective, potentially alienating voters rather than swaying them.
• The Australian Electoral Commission confirms it does not regulate or supply voter phone numbers, leaving questions about data sourcing unanswered.