Australia’s national digital identity receives new name and logo

Australia’s long-planned, US$519 million-worth national digital identification system has finally received its brand and logo. The Australian Tax Office has applied to trademark the name myID.

The government expects that the myID platform will be used by Australian citizens to access government and private services, confirm their age, show their driver’s license and much more. A tentative rollout date was set for July 1st, 2024.

The initial suggestion for its name was myGovID, which was established four years ago. Consumer research performed by the national tax authority, however, found that most citizens were confusing the platform with the federal government website myGov, the Australian Financial Review reports. There is a biometrics provider based in Uzbekistan called MyID, and an authentication software suite from Intercede called MyID, but these are likely unfamiliar to most Australians.

“The updated name and visual identity are the result of extensive research, and an updated user interface will be piloted with end users for feedback prior to the re-launch [in late 2024],” an Australian Tax Office spokesperson told the outlet.

The application for the new name and brand should be finalized by June. Other work on the digital ID system, however, is still ongoing.

As early as next week, the Australian Senate is expected to begin its debate on formalizing the legislation governing the system, the Digital ID Bill 2023. According to the legislation, the digital ID system will be overseen by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Article Topics

Australia  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  myGovID  |  myID Australia