Western Australia integrates digital ID with all-in-one ServiceWA app

The Government of the state of Western Australia (WA) has launched a digital ID app dubbed ServiceWA which it says will enable users show proof of their vaccination status, check in at businesses and venues, and access their G2G Pass for interstate travel conveniently.

A release on the WA government website states that in order to make use of the app, users will have to set up a digital identity to be able to prove who they are, thus making the application safe, secure and not easily accessible by anyone not clearly identified. People can register on the app using other ID documents such as their passports, driver’s license or Medicare card, the release notes.

While registered on the app, Western Australians will not be expected to show any other proof of their identity before having access to venues or services that require ID verification. This is not the case with the COVID digital certificate carried on smartphones or in hardcopies.

According to the WA government, citizens can, through the app, also find out important information relating to COVID such about where to get tested or vaccinated.

WA residents have been warned that setting up an account on the app can take about 30 minutes on average, and they are thus advised to complete the process in the convenience of their homes.

The use of the ServiceWA app for venue check ins, other than the SafeWA app, has been recommended by the state government and is part of what it calls the “Safe Transition Plan.”

A previous digital health pass, SafeWA, made venue check-in and digital ID data available to police, but ServiceWA does not, ZDNet writes.

Some of the check in venues requiring the use of this app include bars, pubs, cafes and clubs and the measure is expected to come into effect on January 31, according to 9News.

Australia’s federal government has been working on a digital transformation plan which entails broader use of digital identity for different purposes.

Article Topics

Australia  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  health passes  |  identity verification  |  mobile app