November 12th 2024.
The annual Shonky Awards, hosted by consumer advocacy group CHOICE, have once again brought to light the unscrupulous practices of businesses. This year, five companies have been called out, with social media giant Meta taking center stage for its failure to protect users from scams.
CHOICE CEO Ashley De Silva emphasized the importance of these awards, especially as we approach the organization's 20th anniversary. "The fact that this year's winners, both big and small, prove that shonky products and business practices are still prevalent, shows that the need for these awards is greater than ever," De Silva stated.
Scams have become a daily nuisance for Australians, with fraudsters increasingly targeting victims on social media platforms. According to CHOICE, a whopping 76 percent of reported losses to scams originating from social media in 2023 were attributed to WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.
Meta, which owns these three platforms, has been accused of not doing enough to combat these scams. CHOICE senior campaigns and policy adviser Alex Söderlund pointed out that the company is making money from these scammers and yet fails to invest in effective tools to identify and remove them from their apps and websites. "Considering the vast resources at their disposal, it's disheartening to see that Meta's protections for its users have not kept pace with the growing threat of scams," Söderlund expressed.
When asked for comment, Meta declined to respond. Another industry that came under fire in this year's Shonky Awards was insurance companies, particularly for their treatment of single parents. NIB, in particular, was labeled as the "worst of a bad bunch" for charging single parents more to add a child to their health insurance policy than couples.
In response, a spokesperson for NIB defended their pricing, stating that the cost of any policy is largely determined by claims utilization and service costs. They also pointed out that the cost of a Gold top single parent hospital policy is naturally higher than a policy for a couple, as it covers a higher number of dependents.
Lastly, the Shonky Awards also highlighted the deceptive practices of some companies, such as the Daily Juice Co for their "green juice" that contained no green vegetables, Acerpure for their Clean Lite Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, and GroundingWell for their "grounding" plug-in socks.
It is clear that these companies prioritized profits over the well-being of their consumers, and CHOICE is determined to continue shining a light on these unethical practices. As consumers, it is important to stay informed and hold businesses accountable for their actions.
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