The Australian state of Victoria is following its compatriot New South Wales in exploring the potential of mobile ID technology. A new pilot in the city of Ballarat will begin next month, allowing interested residents to load a digital version of the driver’s license in the Service Victoria mobile app or in the soon-to-be-launched VicRoads app.
The government’s key tech partner in the effort is Thales, and authorities say its system will enable police, businesses, and other government authorities to confirm a participant’s identity with a QR code scan. The system will also offer users a degree of control over what personal information they share with an authority, depending on a given circumstance. It will also allow users to update personal information such as home address directly through the app.
“We know Victorians are calling out for more cards to be added to the Service Victoria wallet and that is why we are thrilled that the digital driver licence will soon be added,” commented Minister for Government Services Danny Pearson.
The pilot’s announcement comes as neighboring New South Wales trials a beta version of its own NSW Digital ID, which similarly allows users to store virtual version of their IDs on their mobile device, and to share information selectively. The NSW Digital ID also uses a selfie-based onboarding system with facial recognition technology employed to match the end user to their physical ID; it is not yet clear if a similar onboarding process will be used in the Victoria digital ID pilot.
As Government News reports, about 75 percent of all motorists in New South Wales have already opted into the digital driver’s license through the Service NSW app — a figure that bodes well for the potential success of Victoria’s own digital ID solution.
Another Australian state, Queensland, is also currently trialling a digital ID system, with authorities hoping to see a wide rollout across the state sometime this year.
Source: Government News
–
May 9, 2023 – by Alex Perala
Follow Us