Bill Shorten to announce new ‘gold standard’ digital ID program, Trust Exchange

By the end of this year, all Australians will be able to use a ‘gold standard’ digital ID platform on their phones to share private personal information, instead of handing over sensitive documents such as a passport or driver’s licence.

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten will use his address to the National Press Club on Tuesday to announce the national Trust Exchange, or TEx program, which is currently at the “proof-of-concept stage,” and slated to be launched by the end of this year.

Accessed via a person’s myGov wallet, the technology will store information such as someone’s date-of-birth, address, citizenship, visa status, qualifications, occupational licences or working with children check, and other information already held by the government.

Using the example of booking a hotel room, Mr Shorten will say that instead of handing over a passport or driver’s licence, the TEx technology will allow someone to digitally share that information.

A person starting a new job, can also use a “verify my identity” tool, and then to choose what documents to share with their new employer.

“You control what details are exchanged,” he will say.

“You then have in your wallet a record of sharing, say, your passport and trade certificate with your employer.”

The TEx program will also allow information to be transferred through a “digital token” which will not contain personal information, however can be used as a “digital thumbs up” in situations where someone may need to verify another person’s details.

“Take the case of someone going to the local RSL and wanting to prove they’re from interstate or that they’re over 18 … they’d just hold their phone up to a QR code or tap-to-pay machine and a digital token will be sent to the club vouching for their identity, address and age,” Mr Shorten will say.

“None of that information needs to be kept by the club. The token will be a valuable promise to the club, but of zero value to a cybercriminal.”

Services Australia has been tasked with managing the roll out of the program, and will partner with other government systems.

The data protection protocols will also be tighter than the benchmark General Data Protection Regulation used across the European Union.