Australia accredits eftpos for digital identity exchange

Eftpos has announced that its ConnectID digital identity solution business has earned accreditation from the Australian government as the first non-government operator to deliver digital identity exchange services in the country.

According to a statement, the accreditation, which has been given under the Trusted Digital Identity Framework put in place by the Australian government, will enable eftpos to work more closely with the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) in a bid to accelerate the adoption of digital identity as a driver of the digital economy.

Eftpos CEO Stephen Benton said the move will help facilitate the way Australians can securely access both government and private services online.

The managing director of eftpos Digital Identity, Andrew Black, echoed Benton, saying ConnectID will henceforth be also used for a number of business purposes such as for ecommerce onboarding, recruitment, responsible gaming, anti-money laundering (AML) and identity verification.

“TDIF accreditation is a big step forward for eftpos and industry to help bring the benefits of digital identity to more sectors of the economy,” said Benton. “It is a significant and tangible milestone in the rollout of Australia’s digital identity ecosystem and comes after months of rigorous assurance evaluations and privacy and security testing. With connectID, eftpos drew on its experience operating the national eftpos network in the development of an exchange to make it easier for Australians to share, store and receive trusted personal identity information online, giving them more confidence and control.”

For Andrew Black, “the creation of an Australian digital identity ecosystem that provides utility to both the public and private sectors is a foundation stone in a modern digital economy because it reduces friction, delays and cost while automating and boosting safety and compliance for individuals, businesses and government services.”

Eftpos’ ConnectID reached operation in June and it has been trialed to enable Australians to access a variety of digital services.

Mastercard to help set up Australia’s age verification system

Mastercard has partnered with Australia’s DTA as part of efforts by the federal government to develop an age verification system as part of its expansion of digital identity, writes The Canberra Times.

Australia is looking to put in place an age verification system following a parliamentary recommendation last year, in a bid to keep a check on the access to online pornographic content by minors. Eftpos had also been trailing an age verification system using its ConnectID to restrict online alcohol purchase for minors.

The Times quoted Mastercard Australasia President Richard Wormald as saying the deal will give the company sufficient insights through a series of trials to gauge the digital identity experiences and expectations of citizens.

“Australians are increasingly expecting no disruptions between their online and physical lives, and identity is an area that must keep pace with those expectations. Public-private pilots have the potential to make it easier to use these verified identities securely, everywhere they travel,” he said.

Mastercard has also applied for accreditation of its ‘ID’ digital identity service as an exchange, identity provider and credential provider under the TDIF, according to Australian Cyber Security Magazine.

Article Topics

age verification  |  Australia  |  biometrics  |  certification  |  connectID  |  digital economy  |  digital identity  |  Eftpos  |  government services  |  Mastercard  |  Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF)