“Unacceptable”: DoorDash to cough up $2 million for breaching spam laws

Food delivery platform DoorDash has been fined $2 million for breaking Australian spam rules by sending over one million texts and emails to its customers and prospective contractors.

An investigation by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found that the company sent more than 566,000 promotional emails to customers between February and October 2022, as well as more than 515,000 texts without an unsubscribe facility to prospective drivers.

“Australians find it incredibly frustrating when they receive marketing messages from businesses like DoorDash after they have taken the time to unsubscribe,” said ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin.

“It is unacceptable that DoorDash’s prospective contractors were sent messages without an unsubscribe facility about a business opportunity that they may not have wished to pursue.”

There is no excuse for non-compliance, O’Loughlin stated, adding that the penalty will act as a warning for all businesses regarding their spam compliance.

Businesses have paid over $10 million in penalties for breaching spam and telemarketing laws over the past 18 months, according to the ACMA.

This article was first published by Inside Retail.