Australia’s AG says biometric driver’s licence verification system operational in weeks

A new face biometrics service for verifying driver’s licences is set to roll out across Australia by the end of the year, beginning with Western Australia.

The Attorney-General’s Department plans to make the National Driver Licence Facial Recognition Solution (NDLFRS) “operational” this year, allowing Australians to use their state or territory driver’s licence for biometric identity verification via the federal Face Verification Service (FVS).

The integration will combine facial images from passports and licences into a single system to support secure access to services and strengthen identity fraud prevention. It also enables government agencies — including law enforcement — to access and share identity data more easily.

But the NDLFRS has had a rough ride since its inception eight years ago. First tabled in parliament in 2018, the Identity-Matching Service Bill was supposed to pave the way but suffered setbacks that prevented it from being passed. It re-emerged in a cut-down form as the Identity Verification Services Bill 2023, which underpins the current rollout. The re-tooled legislation blocked most of the planned government uses of one-to-many facial recognition.

The legislation provides the framework for several new verification methods, including document checks, facial image matching, and facial identification across multiple government records. Entities wishing to use or contribute to these services must enter into formal participation agreements, with the Act promising safeguards and oversight to protect personal data.

However, privacy experts have raised concerns about the risks associated with centralized biometric databases, reports Government News (GN). The publication cites Professor Mark Andrejevic of Monash University who warned that data breaches are likely.

“One thing we’ve learned is that any time there is a centralised database of sensitive information, data theft and data leakage is always  a concern — we have seen this over and over again,” Andrejevic, who specializes in data mining and online monitoring from a sociocultural perspective, told GN.

Andrejevic noted that if biometric data such as facial images were compromised, alternative forms of identification, such as retina scans or vein patterns, might be required. He also cautioned against external access to the system, saying it introduces further vulnerabilities, and that “there is no such thing as a zero-risk environment when it comes to external data access.”

A national ID database has been under discussion since 2017, when federal and state governments signed an intergovernmental agreement. Andrejevic believes a national ID is already taking shape, de facto, with the combination of driver’s license IDs with passport photos rolling out across states.

He added that widespread use of facial recognition could normalize surveillance technologies, raising deeper questions about accountability and misuse. Safeguards against abuse by those who fall short of ideals is the real issue, the academic noted.

The UK is currently considering legislation to allow facial recognition searches of its driver’s license database.

The NDLFRS is hosted in a Canberra data center with Fujitsu responsible for management until June 2026, with the total value of the agreement worth AU$50 million (US$32.5 million). Home Affairs initially selected NTT Digital to manage the platform but awarded a three-year contract to Fujitsu in December 2022.

Cognitec was involved in the initial stages of the contract before Futjisu was signed up. Cognitec is also supplying biometric hardware and software for Australian airports.

Article Topics

Australia  |  biometric verification  |  biometrics  |  facial recognition  |  facial verification  |  identity verification  |  National Driver Licence Facial Recognition Solution (NDLFRS)