New South Wales gov’t kicks off digital ID pilot

New South Wales (NSW) has kicked off a pilot of its new digital identity app on Wednesday, inviting residents of the Australian state over the age of 16 to participate in the testing. Users will be able to create a NSW Digital ID by verifying their identity through selfie biometrics, which will be matched against an ID document, such as a driver’s license, passport, or birth certificate.

Unlike myID, which is managed by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and used to access Australian Government services, the NSW Digital ID can be used to prove identity for NSW state services and will be accessible through the government services platform MyServiceNSW.

The digital ID will have limited functionality during the trial. One of the first online government services available will be linking a toll account to claim the toll relief rebate online. More services are expected to be added as the program progresses, Service NSW explains in its FAQ.

The government agency says that the digital ID system only exchanges minimal personal information to prove a user’s eligibility to receive the service. During the verification process, data will be cross referenced with databases from the Attorney-General’s Department, Services Australia and Transport for NSW, IT News reports.

“So much of our personal information is overshared when we hand over documents, but NSW Digital ID gives you more privacy and control to share only the information you need to,” says NSW Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Jihad Dib.

The Australian state has been a pioneer in providing online government services. In 2019, it launched its mobile driver license (mDL) program, while in 2024, it started offering digital birth certificates.

Last year, NSW announced a trial update to its NSW Digital ID and Wallet, which allowed digital photo cards to be converted into verifiable credentials, becoming the first government-verifiable photo credential in Australia built on international standards.

Other states are catching up, with Victoria launching its own digital birth certificate program earlier this month. This year. 90 percent of eligible Australians will have access to digital driver’s licenses.

Article Topics

Australia  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  identity verification  |  New South Wales (NSW)  |  NSW Digital ID  |  pilot project  |  selfie biometrics