The federal government’s new Trust Exchange will allow digital credentials to be stored in any digital wallet, replacing an earlier plan to bring drivers licences to the myGov platform.
It is one of the first use cases planned for TEx, the $11.4 million proof-of-concept platform unveiled by Government Services minister Bill Shorten on Tuesday that the government expects to trial with citizens from next year.
Speaking at the National Press Club, Mr Shorten said initial plans to “swap” credentials between state and federal apps would “have essentially been just a picture of a card”, rather than being a “much better” secure exchange.
“TEx will achieve the outcome of the card swap and much more,” Mr Shorten said of the “world leading” platform that represents the latest addition to the government’s long-running Digital ID project.
TEx builds on investments in digital identity infrastructure over the past decade, including the Identity Exchange that works hand-in-hand with myGovID, the digital credential that is already used by more than 10 million Australians.
Like the broader Digital ID program legislated by the government, the platform will be voluntary. The government also confirmed that individuals will not be charged to use the new exchange.
Mr Shorten said the TEx PoC will illustrate the storage of licences and cards in myGov and state digital wallets by the end of 2024. Once the PoC is complete, the government plans to “assess” its options for pilots.
The system will do this by generating verifiable credentials compatible with a person’s “digital wallet of choice”, according to an official infographic. It will not store data, which will remain with the issuing authority and on individuals’ devices.
Digital credentials to be added to TEx “over the next few months” are expected to be Medicare, Department of Veterans’ Affairs, organ donor and Commonwealth concession cards.
The pilot stage of the program will include consultation with the private sector on foreseeable use cases. Telstra and Google “have welcomed the opportunity to be involved in development”, in initial conversations with the minister’s office.
The Commonwealth Bank, Australia’s largest bank, and employment platform SEEK have also given in-principle support, as have peak bodies the Tech Council of Australia and the Australian Information Industry Association.
Mr Shorten said Services Australia plans to “do as much [development] as we can in-house” given that it has the biggest tech workforce in Canberra, but added that he is “not afraid to use contractors”.
This stage of TEx’s development is also supported by Finance minister Katy Gallagher, who is responsible for the wider Digital ID program, and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones.
“Whatever the case, online or in person, you choose what is shared, you consent to what is being shared and you can trust it is shared safely,” Mr Shorten said on Tuesday.
“The beauty of TEx is that it is part of the broader interoperable Digital ID system – and that means reducing the collection, storage and sharing of data across the economy.
“There have been a number of high profile, significant cyber incidents and data breaches in recent times. The Optus incident – one of the first on a large scale – showed why we have to do things differently…
“An ID as a verifiable credential would be a secure and very efficient way for a business to be certain of someone’s ID.”
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