Australia to get world-leading digital ID Trust Exchange by end of year

Government Services Minister Bill Shorten will make the announcement today (13 August) during an address to the National Press Club.

The Australian government is planning to roll out a new digital ID scheme by the end of 2024, with Government Services Minister Bill Shorten set to announce the timing today during an address to the National Press Club in Australia.

The national Trust Exchange – or TEx – will allow individuals to use a credential token stored in their myGov account to verify their identity over a range of services.

The token will be based on identification data already stored by the government, such as passport, visa status, or citizenship status. As the data is from a trusted source but not locally stored, there is no actual exchange of data.

In an advance copy of the speech seen by multiple media outlets, Minister Shorten used the example of someone wanting to visit a club.

“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,” Minister Shorten said.

“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 cyber criminal.”

Minister Shorten will also say that the system only shares what users want it to share.

“You choose which information to share from your digital wallet and consent to its use,” Minister Shorten will say. “You will have a record in your myGov wallet of what you shared and with whom you shared it.”

Services Australia – which is currently trialling a proof of concept of the system – will roll out Trust Exchange with the cooperation of a range of other government systems.