Digital identity in Australia

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In Australia, there are three main forms of digital identity:

Contents

Digital identity providers

myID

myID is a digital identity provider run by the Australian Government. myID allows users to verify their identity with government or non-government online services without having to provide their identity documents directly.

The process for logging into a website that supports myID is as follows:

  1. The user selects "Continue with Digital Identity" and enters their email
  2. The user enters the code generated by the myID mobile app
  3. If the code is correct, the user will be successfully authenticated to the website

As of January 2025 myID supports logging into 76 different online services. [1]

Australia Post Digital iD

Digital iD by Australia Post is a smart phone based app that allows users to create and validate their ID against the Australian Government Document Verification Service (DVS) and then use it as a primary ID system online and in person.

Users can use their Passports, Driver's Licenses or Medicare Card to assert and confirm ID online. A photo is taken, and head movement is detected to ensure the holder is real and their face matches. Your passport can be scanned using the phone's near-field communication (NFC) reader and used to assert biometrics. [2] The user's image with dynamic security features, and an updating QR code are then displayed to people to verify the ID. The date of birth and full name are displayed on the app. [2] Australia Post claims it is acceptable for use to validate the holder's identity. [2] It can be used instead of KeyPass for holders 18 years and older. [2]

The Digital iD website states that it is used by over 50 government and private organisations across a variety of industries and sectors. [2] Launched in 2016, questions were raised as to longevity of the offering after the founder quit, [3] however, continued investment from Australia Post has seen Digital iD become the first industry provider accredited under the federal government’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF). [4] Usage of Digital iD is growing, and Keypass in Digital iD is now accepted as proof of age to enter participating licensed venues and to purchase alcohol in Vic, Tas, Qld, ACT and NT (excluding takeaway alcohol in NT). [2]

myGov

myGov is a single sign-on service provided by the Australian Government that allows users to link together accounts with other government departments under the one account. It is primarily used for federal government services, however as of January 2025 some state government services have joined the service.

In order for a myGov account to be used with participating services the user must verify their identity using myID. [5]

Some services supported by myGov include:

myGov also integrates with Australia Post MyPost Digital Mailbox to facilitate secure electronic document delivery, as most government departments avoid the use of e-mail to directly deliver private documents. [6]

Digital credentials

Some states and territories of Australia offer the ability for their residents to add a digital credential onto mobile phones for pre-existing licenses or identity cards. Digital credentials issued by state or territory governments are considered legal documents in Australia. [7]

Digital credentials available by state or territory
State or territoryIssuing authority Driver's License Proof of Age Card Working with Children Check
NSW Transport for NSW Available since 2019 [8] Trial available for select residents in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains [9] Available
QLD Department of Transport & Main Roads Available since 2023 [10] Not available
VIC VicRoads Available since 2024 [11] Available since 2023

[12]

SA Department for Infrastructure and Transport Available since 2017 [13] Not available
NTNo digital credentials available
WA
ACT

A digital Medicare card is also offered by the federal government through both the myGov and the Express Plus Medicare app. [14]

Digital identity verification services

Identity and associated information can be verified a number of ways:

See also

Related Research Articles

Medicare is the publicly funded universal health care insurance scheme in Australia operated by the nation's social security agency, Services Australia. The scheme either partially or fully covers the cost of most health care, with services being delivered by state and territory governments or private enterprises. All Australian citizens and permanent residents are eligible to enrol in Medicare, as well as international visitors from 11 countries that have reciprocal agreements for medically necessary treatment.

An email address identifies an email box to which messages are delivered. While early messaging systems used a variety of formats for addressing, today, email addresses follow a set of specific rules originally standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in the 1980s, and updated by RFC 5322 and 6854. The term email address in this article refers to just the addr-spec in Section 3.4 of RFC 5322. The RFC defines address more broadly as either a mailbox or group. A mailbox value can be either a name-addr, which contains a display-name and addr-spec, or the more common addr-spec alone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Identity document</span> Document used to identify a person

An identity document is a document proving a person's identity.

A digital identity is data stored on computer systems relating to an individual, organization, application, or device. For individuals, it involves the collection of personal data that is essential for facilitating automated access to digital services, confirming one's identity on the internet, and allowing digital systems to manage interactions between different parties. It is a component of a person's social identity in the digital realm, often referred to as their online identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Identity document forgery</span> Fake IDs and their production

Identity document forgery is the process by which identity documents issued by governing bodies are illegally copied and/or modified by persons not authorized to create such documents or engage in such modifications, for the purpose of deceiving those who would view the documents about the identity or status of the bearer. The term also encompasses the activity of acquiring identity documents from legitimate bodies by falsifying the required supporting documentation in order to create the desired identity.

Electronic authentication is the process of establishing confidence in user identities electronically presented to an information system. Digital authentication, or e-authentication, may be used synonymously when referring to the authentication process that confirms or certifies a person's identity and works. When used in conjunction with an electronic signature, it can provide evidence of whether data received has been tampered with after being signed by its original sender. Electronic authentication can reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft by verifying that a person is who they say they are when performing transactions online.

There are several identity documents used in Sweden. None are compulsory by law, meaning that there is no formal penalty for not possessing one. Certified identification cards are issued by the tax agency. The Swedish police issues passports and national identity cards for Swedish citizens. A Swedish driver's license, issued by the transport agency, is also accepted as an identity document. Banks sometimes issue identity cards for established customers or their children.

The 100 point check is a personal identification system adopted by the Australian Government to combat financial transaction fraud by individuals and companies, enacted by the Financial Transactions Reports Act (1988) , which established the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) and which continued in existence under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Driver licences in Australia</span>

Driver licences in Australia refer to the official permit required for a person to legally drive a motor vehicle in Australia. The issue of driver licences, alongside the regulation and enforcement of road use, are all managed by state and territory governments.

The Lebanese identity card is a compulsory Identity document issued to citizens of the Republic of Lebanon by the police on behalf of the Lebanese Ministry of Interior or in Lebanese embassies and consulates abroad free of charge. It is proof of identity, citizenship and residence of the Lebanese citizens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">User profile</span> Data about an individual user

A user profile is a collection of settings and information associated with a user. It contains critical information that is used to identify an individual, such as their name, age, portrait photograph and individual characteristics such as knowledge or expertise. User profiles are most commonly present on social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn; and serve as voluntary digital identity of an individual, highlighting their key features and traits. In personal computing and operating systems, user profiles serve to categorise files, settings, and documents by individual user environments, known as ‘accounts’, allowing the operating system to be more friendly and catered to the user. Physical user profiles serve as identity documents such as passports, driving licenses and legal documents that are used to identify an individual under the legal system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ID.me</span> Online identity company

ID.me, Inc. is an American online identity network company that allows people to provide proof of their legal identity online. ID.me digital credentials can be used to access government services, healthcare logins, or discounts from retailers. The company is based in McLean, Virginia.

Australian state and territory issued identity photo cards are photo identification cards issued by the States and Territories of Australia. While the drivers license is similar to the photo identity card, the photo identity card is treated separately here.

Australia does not have a national identity card. Various Identity documents of Australia may be used or required to prove a person's identity instead of a national identity card, whether for government or commercial purposes such as:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Seniors Card</span> Concession card issued by Australian governments

The Australian Seniors Card is a card issued by various Australian State and Territory governments to permanent residents, over a particular age, who work no more than a set number of paid hours per week, or based on state or territory requirements.

GOV.UK Verify was an identity assurance system developed by the British Government Digital Service (GDS) which was in operation between May 2016 and April 2023. The system was intended to provide a single trusted login across all British government digital services, verifying the user's identity in 15 minutes. It allowed users to choose one of several companies to verify their identity to a standard level of assurance before accessing 22 central government online services.

Account verification is the process of verifying that a new or existing account is owned and operated by a specified real individual or organization. A number of websites, for example social media websites, offer account verification services. Verified accounts are often visually distinguished by check mark icons or badges next to the names of individuals or organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Health Record</span> Australian national digital health record platform managed by the Australian Digital Health Agency

My Health Record (MHR) is the national digital health record platform for Australia, and is managed by the Australian Digital Health Agency. It was originally established as the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR), a shared electronic health summary set up by the Australian government with implementation overseen by the National Electronic Health Transition Authority (NEHTA). The purpose of the MHR is to provide a secure electronic summary of people's medical history which will eventually include information such as current medications, adverse drug reactions, allergies and immunisation history in an easily accessible format. This MHR is stored in a network of connected systems with the ability to improve the sharing of information amongst health care providers to improve patient outcomes no matter where in Australia a patient presents for treatment. PCEHR was an opt-in system with a unique individual healthcare identifier (IHI) being assigned to participants and the option of masking and limiting information available for viewing controlled by the patient or a nominated representative; MHR uses an opt-out system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civil registration in Australia</span>

Civil registration in Australia of births, deaths and marriages as well other life events is carried out and maintained by each state and territory in Australia, in an office called a Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. It is compulsory in each jurisdiction, though the procedures and information recorded varies between jurisdictions. Access to information on the register is restricted by period or relationship, and is usually provided at a fee in the form of certificates. Nowadays, certificates can also be ordered online, and will be posted to the applicant, often with some delay.

Many nations have implemented, are implementing, or have proposed nationwide digital identity systems.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Digital iD™ - ID on Your Phone". www.digitalid.com. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
  3. "Digital iD founder quits AusPost". InnovationsAus.com. 12 September 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  4. "Australia Post secures TDIF accreditation" . Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  5. "Digital ID". myGov. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  6. Mandarin, The (2014-08-19). "Australia Post partners with myGov on digital mailbox trial". The Mandarin. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  7. "Digital driver licences now acceptable as ID". AUSTRAC. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Address at the Australian Information Industry Association NSW Ministerial Forum: NSW Digital Driver's Licence | Digital NSW". www.digital.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
  9. "NSW govt extends digital photo card trial to more than 200 suburbs". iTnews. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
  10. "Hello digital licence, Goodbye wallet". Ministerial Media Statements. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
  11. "Major change finally comes to Victorian driver licences". 7NEWS. 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2024-12-30.
  12. Victoria, Business (2023-06-30). "Making it easy to validate a Working with Children Check". Business Victoria. Retrieved 2025-01-01.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  13. Services, Consumer and Business (2023-01-16). "Validating digital licences and proof of age passes". Consumer and Business Services. Retrieved 2024-12-30.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  14. "How to get a digital card".
  15. "Face Matching Services". Ag.gov.au. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  16. "Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO)". Border.gov.au. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  17. "Driver Licence Check". Roads & Traffic Authority . Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  18. "About the online identity verification - Births, Deaths & Marriages Victoria". Archived from the original on 2017-03-26. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  19. "NSW Electoral Verification Facility". Archived from the original on 2017-04-09. Retrieved 2017-04-09.
  20. "Home - VIX Verify". Vixverify.com. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  21. "IDMatrix". Equifax.com.au. 22 May 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  22. "Verifying a Check - NSW Office of the Children's Guardian". Kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  23. "Verify Police Check - Veritas Check". Veritascheck.com.au. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  24. "Online verification of qualifications". Griffith University . Retrieved 13 December 2017.