ConnectID, Ping execs discuss consumer data management in federated digital ID

Executives from digital ID service providers ConnectID and Ping Identity have underscored the role that trusted identity verification can play in driving a country’s digital economy.

According to Steve Dillon, head of APAC architecture for Ping Identity, one of the ways to achieve this is by simplifying the customer onboarding experience and putting in place a digital ID verification ecosystem with high regard for data privacy and security.

Dillon, together with ConnectID Managing Director Andrew Black, shared thoughts on this subject on a vodcast entitled “Identity Matters: Digital Identity and the Evolution of the Internet,” produced by InnovationAus.com and Ping Identity. InnovationAus Editorial Director James Riley anchored the discussion. Dillon says for a country like Australia, which is fully engaged in a digital transformation drive, it is important for startups to leverage platforms like ConnectID for ID verification needs, as it offers the possibility for smooth integrations with other services, and enables last-mile users to control how their personal data is shared with verifying entities.

With services such as Connect ID and Ping Identity, businesses can easily integrate customers into their privacy-preserving systems and better protect and easily manage consumer data, as well as reduce the cost of investment, they say.

Dillon says he believes software and hardware from Ping Identity and ConnectID hold great promise for Australia’s digital ID journey, adding that “ConnectID is the most interesting thing happening in the identity space in Australia at the moment.”

In the exchange, Black underlines the fact that not only is it crucial for businesses to “onboard and acquire new customers quickly with a good experience,” but having a trusted digital ID system is also vital for digital transformation on economic and social levels, as this can improve lives and reduce cumbersome and risky data-sharing practices.

ConnectID in October signed partnership agreements with some Australian banks to simplify the way bank customers sign up for services or verify new ones, without having to go through manual verification processes.

One important issue Black emphasizes is data minimization. He says it is the way to go, given the increase in data violations and the quest for users to keep their ID profile secure.

Black spoke extensively about ConnectID in an interview with Biometric Update in September.

myGov funding delayed

On the government side of Australia’s digital ID story, the federal executive says it will not make room for special funding for the myGov platform anytime soon. It says it is also not considering special legislation for it, despite the growing number of Australians (25 million) making use of the digital government platform.

In response to a myGov audit concluded earlier this year, the government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this week said it will consider just four of the 10 recommendations of the audit, because any attempt to satisfy all of them will be a hard nut to crack, InnovationAus reports.

The audit suggests that despite the critical role of myGov in Australia’s digital economy, it still has a number of shortcomings, including the lack of a clear funding mechanism and a legislative framework.

A plan by the government to rebrand myGovID also follows the audit recommendation.

Article Topics

Australia  |  biometrics  |  connectID  |  digital ID  |  identity verification  |  onboarding  |  Ping Identity