Better privacy safeguards for Digital ID
This consultation has concluded. The Digital ID Act 2024 has passed parliament, received royal assent and is now available on the Federal Register of Legislation.
For more information on the Digital ID Act 2024 and associated instruments visit the Digital ID Act page.
How your input contributed
Your input has helped shape the Digital ID Act 2024.
In September 2023, the Australian Government has released an exposure draft of the proposed Digital ID legislation (Digital ID Bill) and Digital ID Rules for consultation. Consultation ran from 19 September 2023 to 10 October 2023.
The legislation will provide strong regulation for accredited Digital ID providers to make sure they keep your information private and secure, if you choose to create and reuse a Digital ID to access online services.
The legislation will also enable the expansion of the Australian Government Digital ID System to include private sector organisations that choose to participate.
What was the outcome of this consultation?
Your response informed refinements to Digital ID Act which will commence on 1 December 2024.
What happened to my information?
Your responses will be de-identified for analysis and reporting, and only be analysed in aggregate with other responses.
Data will be kept private and secured, and stored on encrypted drives or computers, protected by passwords and firewalls.
For more information, see the Australian Privacy Principle 5 notice at the end of this page.
What will be the outcome of this consultation?
Survey responses will be considered in refinement of draft legislation before it is introduced to Parliament.
What will happen to my information?
Your responses will be de-identified for analysis and reporting, and only be analysed in aggregate with other responses.
Data will be kept private and secured, and stored on encrypted drives or computers, protected by passwords and firewalls.
For more information, see the Australian Privacy Principle 5 notice at the end of this page.
What is this legislation for?
Digital ID legislation will provide strong privacy safeguards for people creating and using a Digital ID with an accredited Digital ID provider. This legislation will build on the existing protections in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Digital ID legislation will strengthen the regulation of Digital ID providers so you can be sure that your data is protected if you choose to create a Digital ID with an accredited provider. The Digital ID legislation will also enable the Australian Government Digital ID System to expand over time to give access to state and territory and private sector services.
Using or creating a Digital ID is voluntary. It provides you with a more secure way to verify and reuse your ID to access services. Currently myGovID provides online verification for Commonwealth government services and some state and territory services. You will still be able to access services the way you do now if you don’t want to use a Digital ID.
In the future, this legislation will give you the choice to use your state or territory Digital ID (if your state or territory offer a Digital ID), or a Digital ID from a private business to, for example, verify your ID to banks, real estate agents or telecommunications companies. The legislation will also allow Digital IDs from a private business to be used to access some government services.
How is using a Digital ID more secure?
Currently businesses and government agencies can hold large amounts of your personal information such as copies of driver licences or passports. Digital ID will reduce the amount of information about you that organisations store.
Digital IDs can:
- replace the need to give copies of your documents to services and businesses
- stop the oversharing of information to access services, and allow you to only share the information you need to in a given context
- allow you to verify your ID online against existing Commonwealth and state and territory-issued ID documents, without creating a new ID number or document
- can be created once and reused wherever it's accepted.
What’s in the legislation?
| Create an accreditation scheme for Digital ID service providers |
The Australian Government will strengthen its existing accreditation framework for providers of Digital ID services by introducing a voluntary Accreditation Scheme. The Accreditation Scheme will be underpinned by rigorous technical standards and with robust enforcement mechanisms. Accreditation demonstrates that Digital ID providers meet high standards for privacy, cyber security, user experience and more. |
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| Provide more choice of trusted providers to be used to access more services |
Legislation will allow the Commonwealth to partner with states and territories as well as partner with private sector companies to create a better digital experience for Australians. This will facilitate more choice of providers for creating a Digital ID and where it can be used. |
| Enshrine additional privacy safeguards |
These privacy safeguards are in addition to those already enshrined in the Privacy Act, to protect individuals who choose to create and use a Digital ID. These include prohibiting tracking of an individual’s online behaviour and extra protections around sensitive data. |
| Establish an independent Digital ID Regulator |
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will be the initial independent regulator to oversee the Digital ID Accreditation Scheme and operation of the Australian Government Digital ID System. The ACCC would also manage and regulate a ‘trustmark’ for accredited Digital ID providers. The Information Commissioner will be the privacy regulator for accredited Digital ID services. A Digital ID Data Standards Chair will develop technical and data standards. |
Consultation has closed. Thank you to all who provided their feedback.
Privacy principle notice
This survey is voluntary. Any personal and sensitive information included in your responses to survey questions will be collected by the Department of Finance (Finance) and is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act). Please do not provide personal information relating to other people unless you have sought their consent to do so.
This information is being collected by Finance as part of consultation activities on the 2023 Digital ID Legislation Exposure Draft. The information collected in this survey will be used to assist the Digital ID Team in Finance to refine the draft legislation. The information provided in your submissions may also be analysed by third party certified service provider artificial intelligence software to inform analysis of feedback themes across submissions. Third parties who contract with Finance are contractually bound to protect personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act.
The demographic information will be used to understand sentiment across Australian demographics. Finance will not use or disclose the personal information collected in this survey for another purpose without your consent unless required or authorised by law.
For more information about how Finance handles your personal information, including information about access to or correction of your personal information, please visit our Privacy Policy at: https://www.finance.gov.au/publications/policy/department-finance-privacy-policy.
