New Zealand trust framework looks to onboard digital ID providers

In an interview with Radio New Zealand (RNZ), Digital Identity New Zealand Executive Director Colin Wallis confirms that the country’s digital trust framework is live, marking the first move toward safeguarding what has until now been an unregulated national digital identity industry.

The framework, the enabling legislation for which went into effect on July 1, is intended to give New Zealanders additional protection from scammers and phishers, and to make it easier for users to verify their identity with digital credentials housed on their smartphone in order to access services or prove their age.

Speaking to RNZ, Victoria University Professor of Informatics Markus Luczak-Roesch notes that if AI is to become prevalent in digital environments – as one could argue it already has – a robust trust framework is a must. But, says Wallis, to get the ball rolling it will take what he calls a “chunky number of identity service providers” operating under the scheme.

With New Zealand’s framework to accredit digital identity services from public agencies and private companies now in place, that can now begin to happen. That could mean issuing mobile drivers licenses (mDLs), which the New Zealand Transit Authority (NZTA) has been piloting in an app since May. Or it might mean providing digital wallets to house digital ID credentials for age assurance. Applications are expected to open within two months.

There are around 50 identity service providers certified to the UK’s trust framework.

Framework built on local standards raises questions about interoperability

The New Zealand digital ID scheme still faces some tall obstacles to widespread adoption. A Trust Framework Authority has been set up to help educate potential applicants about the framework, but despite vocal enthusiasm about AI from Digitizing Government Minister Judith Collins, Wallis suspects there may be a lack of funds for public relations. Other nations, such as Australia and Canada, have struggled with gaps in public education and a general lack of understanding about digital ID.

Plus, concerns about interoperability are seemingly baked into the current system, in that it has been built against local data security standards – according to Luczak-Roesch, not quite up to international standards. Luczak-Roesch has previously argued that “digital ID is only one aspect of a wider digital economy” and that the wider digital context, including interoperability, needs to be considered in digital identity schemes.

Yet Wallis notes that even the EU, where the AI Act and EUDI wallet program have provided New Zealand a model for digital transformation, is not perfect. “You’ve got to start somewhere, I guess,” he says.

Imperfections aside, interest in accreditation for digital ID providers is likely to be high. One incentive to apply is that, for the first two years, accreditation will be free, despite the $5 million (US$3 million) program cost. And Wallis believes the impact will eventually be massive.

“You’ll have a safer digital playing field as a baseline to build other services on top of. It’s just going to take some time for the ripple to become seismic.”

Article Topics

digital government  |  digital identity  |  Digital Identity New Zealand (DINZ)  |  digital trust  |  identity management  |  trust framework