Trust in Tatters: Optus Plummets to Australia’s Most Distrusted Brand After Deadly Triple-0 Outage
- Australia’s trust in Optus has hit rock bottom after the telco’s fatal triple-0 outage in September 2025 left two people dead and the nation reeling.
- The shocking failure has catapulted Optus to the top of Roy Morgan’s most distrusted brands list, overtaking last year’s offender, Woolworths.
- The survey reveals a worrying trend of Australians losing faith in major brands, with tech giants and supermarkets coming under intense scrutiny.
- As consumers become increasingly sceptical, brands are struggling to rebuild trust and loyalty in a market where switching providers is easier than ever.
The latest Roy Morgan update has laid bare the devastating impact of Optus’s triple-0 outage, which left Australians unable to reach emergency services and resulted in two tragic deaths.
The telco’s reputation has taken a nosedive, with Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine stating that the shift is directly linked to the fallout from the outage.
Optus’s plummet to the top of the most distrusted brands list marks a significant shake-up in the top five. Tech giant Meta, parent company of Facebook, has climbed into second place, with ongoing concerns around privacy, misinformation, and data handling.
Fast-growing Chinese online marketplace Temu has surged into third amid concerns about product quality and data security.
Woolworths, last year’s most distrusted brand, has dropped to fourth, while supermarket rival Coles rounds out the top five.
The survey results were released before the Federal Court found Coles misled customers in their “down, down” campaign, which is likely to further erode trust in the supermarket giant.
According to Levine, supermarkets remain under intense scrutiny, with the Federal Court finding against Coles a stark reminder of the need for transparency and honesty in business.
“We are also watching the supermarkets closely, especially after the Federal Court finding against Coles,” she said.
The Roy Morgan survey warns that many major brands are still struggling to rebuild trust and loyalty in a market where Australians are more sceptical, more vocal, and more willing to switch providers.
The findings suggest that consumers believe companies are putting profits ahead of customers, a lingering concern in the post-COVID-19 era.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, familiar household names like Bunnings, Aldi, Kmart, and Commonwealth Bank dominate the most trusted brands list. Australia Post rounds out the top 10, a testament to the enduring faith Australians have in these institutions.
Analysis: What This Means for Australia
The Optus debacle has significant implications for Australia’s telecommunications industry, highlighting the need for robust infrastructure and backup systems to prevent such catastrophic failures. The incident has also raised questions about the nation’s reliance on private providers for critical services, sparking concerns about national security and public safety.
Law enforcement insiders warn that the erosion of trust in major brands can have far-reaching consequences, including decreased cooperation between consumers and authorities.
“When consumers lose faith in institutions, they become more likely to take matters into their own hands, which can lead to a breakdown in social cohesion,” they said.
Industry observers believe that the Roy Morgan survey highlights the need for brands to prioritize transparency, accountability, and customer-centricity in order to rebuild trust. “Companies must be willing to listen to feedback, admit when they’re wrong, and take concrete steps to address concerns,” they said.
As Australians become increasingly sceptical of major brands, the onus is on companies to prove themselves worthy of trust. With the rise of social media and online reviews, consumers have more power than ever to hold brands accountable.
Will Optus and other struggling brands be able to regain the public’s trust, or will they continue to suffer the consequences of their mistakes?
