Australia’s digital ID landscape in danger of becoming siloed

The implementation of digital identity in Australia is progressing, but as systems sprout up at different levels of government, there is a risk of fragmentation. Andrew Black of ConnectID celebrates an anniversary with notes on how to solve the problem, while new digital minister of New South Wales, Jihad Dib, has a plan to remove barriers to accessing digital ID.

One year in, ConnectID sees a need for more cohesion across digital ID projects

Australian digital identity exchange ConnectID is celebrating one year in business. In a release, its Managing Director Andrew Black marks the occasion with some reflections on “a year of tectonic shifts in Australia’s digital identity landscape.”

Black notes substantial progress across the private sector, governments, and legislation. “From the adoption of mobile driver licenses to the Federal Government’s Digital ID Act and the increasing demand for secure digital identity solutions from the private sector, the changes have been profound,” he says.

But Black says that in the flurry of activity, the sector might be missing a critical step – in a word, interoperability.

“As the digital identity landscape evolves, we need to ensure it aligns,” he writes. “The progress has been significant and positive, but the risk is that different solutions are evolving in isolation, drifting apart rather than converging. The current lack of cohesion between public and private initiatives, particularly around interoperability, will undermine the very progress we’re celebrating.”

Black believes a siloed digital identity system patched together from different standards, protocols, and technologies will simply result in another frustrating digital morass for users.

It will “be less efficient, it will complicate oversight and rule enforcement, and, worse, it will frustrate users and hinder widespread adoption meaning the benefits of digital ID for Australians will not be realized.”

Interoperability gaps could discourage users and hijack digital ID rollout

Black’s paean to interoperability is echoed in many corners of the biometrics and digital identity sector. With the Australian Parliament’s passage of the Digital ID Act 2024, the country is ready to level up its digital identity legislative framework and national digital identity program. The investment is visible in initiatives such as the government’s Trust Exchange (TEx) project to develop a third-party shareable verification system.

But with everybody storming the digital ID table, there’s bound to be a bit of a mess. Black notes that “while the Federal Government is developing the Australian Government Digital ID System (AGDIS), some states are creating their own solutions. Several private players are also developing alternative technologies and making progress within this space.” In an ideal world, he says, these would all work together.

ConnectID has made steps in this direction. Black says one of the company’s goals is “to bring the ecosystem together, linking both public and private initiatives.” He points to the more than 10 million customers who can now use their bank to securely prove their identity online via ConnectID.

And the company continues to grow, adding customers from across a wide spectrum of industries and creating the Japan-Australia Cross-Border Interoperability Working Group in partnership with Japanese companies Dai Nippon Printing and MUFG Bank, to join the global digital ID conversation.

Exchange, says Black, is crucial to the development of a healthy digital identity ecosystem. Part of the reason for conflicting systems is that ‘there are fewer conversations and interactions than is necessary, and initiatives seem to be moving in different directions.” Interoperability between multiple identity exchanges and service providers is the goal, but interaction on a strategic level is needed to achieve that.

“If we fail to bridge the growing gaps,” says Black, “we risk embedding this fragmented system that erodes trust and slows adoptions and innovation.”

NSW’s new digital minister focused on a digital ID system for everyone

The new digital minister for New South Wales, Jihad Dib, also has inclusivity in mind with regards to a digital strategy. In an interview with InnovationAus, the minister outlines his vision for “digital with purpose.”

“It’s more than a digital strategy,” he says. “It’s a people strategy.”

Dib took the digital reins from former Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello of the previous NSW government, and says he intends to continue with many of the projects that his predecessor initiated. As the administration moves toward the goal of having all digital services accessible by 2030, Dib’s major focus in terms of improvement is accessibility and digital inclusion.

“We can create all sorts of incredible digital solutions,” Dib says. “But if they’re not working for everybody, then are we really doing it to support everyone? Does this benefit the whole of society? And as we move more and more government services online are we really enabling that for everyone, or making it more difficult for some people?” Digital access, he says, must be improved for the whole of society.

This will require new ways of thinking about digital infrastructure, which Dib says should be looked at like roads in terms of how much traffic they carry and how that needs to be managed. The federal effort to align digital credentials systems with common standards will help, hopefully avoiding a virtual version of the gridlock that plagues concrete roads.

“We don’t want to create more confusion for people or make it more of a hassle,” Dib says of rolling out digital ID. “The average person just wants to know that a service will work when they need it.”

Article Topics

Australia  |  Australian Government Digital Identity System (AGDIS)  |  connectID  |  digital ID  |  Digital ID Act 2024  |  digital inclusion  |  interoperability  |  New South Wales (NSW)