The Senate Economics Legislation Committee inquiry into the Digital ID Bill 2023 & Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023 was held Friday 9 February 2024.
Department of Finance representatives appeared at the inquiry, answering questions about the legislation and the public consultation that informed it.
The Commonwealth Government introduced the Digital ID Bill 2023 and the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023 to the Australian Parliament late last year.
The intent of the legislative reform, being led by the Department of Finance, is to make using a Digital ID safer and more secure, while also driving consistency across the economy through an Accreditation Scheme.
This will enable people to use a Digital ID if they choose, with the confidence their personal information is safe and secure when they use an accredited provider.
Expanding Australia’s Digital ID System is intended to deliver benefits economy-wide. From reducing the risk of identity theft, to enhancing privacy by limiting how much information we share, and saving businesses time by making it simpler and easier to verify someone’s ID.
Digital IDs are not new. There are more than 10.5 million myGovID accounts today. myGovID is the Commonwealth’s Digital ID and provides users with secure, convenient access to over 130 government services.
There are also several private sector accredited Digital ID providers. Mastercard for example is already offering its accredited Digital ID services to individuals and businesses.
The Committee is due to report on the Digital ID Bill 2023 and the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023 in late February 2024.
The Department of Finance’s Opening statement and public submission to the Committee are all available for more information.
