Government pledges additional funds to test digital ID system

This year’s budget will earmark an additional $67.2 million for the government’s digital identity program, GovPass.

The government said that the funding will be used to expand testing of the new digital identity, dubbed myGovID.

In October, the first of eight myGovID pilots launched, allowing the use of the digital ID when applying for a Tax File Number from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Other pilots foreshadowed by the government are the use of myGovID to access the Australian Business Registry, grant management systems, and Youth Allowance and Newstart Allowance related services through the Department of Human Services.

Others will involve the use of myGovID for accessing the Unique Student Identifier and as a replacement for the ATO’s AUSKey (a login used when accessing government services on behalf of a business).

In last year’s budget the government allocated $92.4 million in 2018-19 to accelerate the rollout of GovPass, with the ATO absorbing $25.9 million of the measure and the Department of Human Services $5.6 million.

The government has indicated that myGovID will be an opt-in system.

“Using myGovID, you will be able to quickly and securely identify yourself to government agencies online, removing the need for you to have to come into an office with your identity documents to prove that you are who you say you are,” said human services and digital transformation minister Michael Keenan.

“The system also removes the need for people to remember dozens of separate government logins and passwords by creating a single, convenient solution, very similar to the current 100 point check people do today, only digital.”

In November the minister launched the government’s digital transformation strategy. The strategy, developed by the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA), has as one of its goals all government services being accessible through online channels by 2025.