Austroads looks ahead to interoperability with Digital Trust Service beta

On the mobile driver’s license (mDL) file, Austroads has launched the pre-production/beta version of its digital trust service (DTS). A press release calls the much-touted DTS “a significant leap forward in digital credential verification” that “will harmonize wallets and credentials not just nationally but internationally.”

Per the release, the DTS leverages the Verified Issuer Certificate Authority List (VICAL), a trusted list of public keys, derived from international standard ISO/IEC 18013-5. Familiar names on the list include Idemia, Thales, Veridos and various transportation administration bodies. Austroads says using a master list will help move the digital credential toward international interoperability, as they find pickup by other regulatory bodies, from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration.

According to Austroads’ National Harmonisation Lead on Digital Identity Chris Goh, “at a practical level, this means if someone from the U.S. comes to Brisbane for the 2032 Olympic Games, they can have their mDL or other mutually trusted digital identity/credential verified seamlessly at a local pub and club without having to download an Australian app. We will trust the wallet of their choice in our ecosystem because we can verify with high assurance (because it’s cryptographically verified) the credentials were issued by a trusted authority.”

“The other bonus is that unlike a data exchange, a trust service does not need to store any data in a central repository as the keys that are exchanged have no identifying information making it safe for relying parties and customers/credential holders alike.”

Austroads will showcase the beta DTS at the 10th International Interoperability Test Event (IVC24 Interop) in Sydney this October.

Article Topics

Australia  |  Austroads  |  digital ID  |  Digital Trust Service (DTS)  |  digital wallets  |  driver's license  |  interoperability  |  mDL (mobile driver's license)  |  VICAL (Verified Issuer Certificate Authority List)