Australian News Today

‘Revolutionary’ new myGov app feature trialled

‘Revolutionary’ new myGov app feature trialled

Australians may soon be able to use a new app to safely send private information from their myGov app to businesses and services.

Services Australia’s Trust Exchange (TEx) was designed to protect personal data and reduce cyberattacks, and is now being trialled at a GP clinic in Queensland.

Patients and staff of the Brisbane clinic will become research participants as they test the first prototype of the proposed product, and their findings will determine the next steps.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

Hard copies to verify identities and credentials will be replaced by the TEx myGov feature if the trial is successful, and Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten called the data-protecting concept “world-leading.”

Shorten said it was “akin to when Australians moved from using cheques to tap and pay — it’s revolutionary.”

The pilot will test the concept as new patients use the myGov app and their government-issued cards to register with the medical centre.

They will simply need to use their myGov app to scan a provided QR code and confirm in-app what information they consent to share, which will then securely transferred to a test device at the GP clinic.

Medicare, DVA veterans’ cards or Centrelink concession cards will all be available to share under the pilot.

“These types of solutions could reduce the need for people to hand over full documents for a business to store on their systems,” Shorten said.

“I want Australians to have access to secure, quick and easy ways to store and share their information and save businesses time and money.

“And with six million people already using the myGov app, this would help make myGov even more useful to Australians in future.”

Commbank to host next TEx pilot

The first stage of development is also still far from finished, with the Commonwealth Bank of Australia also committing to take part in a future test pilot.

“Services Australia has been asking both participants and the medical practice staff about their experience in using the technology in this way, whether the process was intuitive and how it could potentially be improved,” Shorten said.

“The Government has been working with industry on proofs of concepts to ensure they are well placed to utilise the capabilities of TEx.”

Findings from the proof concept testing at the Brisbane clinic will be presented to the Australian Government early next year, before next steps are determined.