Could an online, government-issued ID be a safer way to prove who you are online without giving companies your personal details? The federal governmen

Would you use a government-issued ID to prove your identity online? You may soon have the option

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2024-04-01 11:00:06

Could an online, government-issued ID be a safer way to prove who you are online without giving companies your personal details?

The federal government hopes so, and last week moved it one step closer to setting up such a system when the Senate approved its Digital ID bill.

The bill would establish a voluntary identity verification service, building on the existing myGovID which is already used by 10.5 million Australians to access government services.

The proposed service could also be used by private companies. The idea is that companies could verify their customers without needing to collect and store sensitive info such as addresses, phone numbers or passports, which could be vulnerable to misuse or cyber crime.

That promises simplicity to customers weary of myriad forms, passwords and verification practices for everything from banks to streaming services.

Establishing a 'social licence' for the digital ID — that is, engendering the trust that will make people want to use it — will present a challenge, just as it has for previous government data initiatives like My Health Record.