Australia to finalise digital ID legislation by mid-2024
However, the digital ID still faces pushback from sectors of the public that are wary of the government.
Australia’s Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher, announced on Tuesday that the legislation for the federally-backed digital ID could be in place by 2024. The digital ID aims to eliminate separate log-ins for different government services, and it has received increased attention after a telecommunications company and the largest private health insurer in the country suffered a data breach last year.
Australia’s federal government also released a National Strategy for Identity Resilience in June, which proposes increasing the use of biometrics for higher security. The technology is largely ready to get the system running once the legislation is approved.
However, the digital ID still faces pushback from sectors of the public that are wary of the government. Also, previous versions of the legislation faced strong criticism from researchers and digital rights activists. They have raised concerns over the use of biometric matching and automated decision-making. The digital ID also creates a ‘honeypot’ of citizens’ personal data stored in a centralised database.
About author
DW Team
The GIP Digital Watch Observatory team, consisting of over 30 digital policy experts from around the world, excels in the fields of research and analysis on digital policy issues. The team is backed by the creative prowess of Creative Lab Diplo and the technical expertise of the Diplo tech team.