Study shows growing trust and adoption of digital government services among Australians

Findings have revealed that around 94 percent of Australians have had access to at least one digital government service and would be comfortable using more emerging digital technologies in different sectors in their day-to-day transactions.

This is part of the findings of the 2023 Publicis Sapient Digital Citizen Report, which sampled the opinions of 5,000 Australians, drawn from different demographic sections of the population, on their digital government experience. The study considered people from different states, age groups, income status and other factors that reflect the population.

Trusted digital identity is at the core of the Australian federal government’s digital transformation agenda. Authorities have also been making considerable efforts to accelerate their digital government ambitions through the MyGov platform and policy adjustments.

MyGov is described by the government as a simple and secure way to access a wide range of government services using a digital ID dubbed MyGovID.

Per the Publicis Sapient study, many respondents reported high levels of satisfaction with digital government services, notably in the domains of healthcare (92 percent), finance and tax services, transportation and recreation (92 percent), and general services on the MyGov (89 percent). There was also general interest in artificial intelligence-generated services.

Interest in AI-generated services is growing despite the lingering data privacy and security concerns which need to be addressed, according to the report. It quotes respondents as saying that targeted interventions are needed to further build trust in the use of digital services.

“While trust levels are high, there is a dip from an age perspective between younger and older citizens. Addressing issues around a perception of losing control of information and reassuring people around security protocols are the key priorities for building trust,” the executive summary of the report suggests.

Only 69 percent of those aged 80 and above are comfortable with online applications using AI, compared to 83 percent of millennials.
The study also reveals that Australians want more digital services in all areas of life and that the adoption of digital government services largely depends on the user experience. It also finds that while usage of digital services varies by area, user experience is high across the board.

The study also finds that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on the demand and use of digital services in the country. The states most affected by the pandemic have seen higher numbers of digital government users in the past 18 months.

Other recommendations from the findings include the need for digital support for those experiencing mental health issues and the necessity for openness and transparency regarding digital ID innovations and policy reforms.

Based on the citizens’ responses, the report also makes suggestions for improving the country’s digital transformation journey.
Last month, the Australian government published a new digital ID strategy that places a premium on the use of biometrics and stronger data protection in order to enhance trust.

Article Topics

Australia  |  consumer adoption  |  digital government  |  digital identity