New South Wales (NSW) has launched an Australia-first trial offering digital birth certificates as part of its efforts to enhance digital identity systems. The trial, which includes over 18,000 children enrolled or about to enroll in specific educational institutions, will evaluate the feasibility of a broader rollout.
The digital certificates have the same legal validity as traditional paper ones, and are meant to simplify various administrative processes, such as registering for junior sports, obtaining a student identifier number, or applying for loans.
The initiative is led by the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, with support from the Department of Customer Service. While digital birth certificates are introduced as an alternative rather than a replacement for paper certificates, they promise enhanced convenience and security, especially in disaster-prone areas where paper documents might be lost or damaged.
Accessibility features are also a significant aspect of the pilot, with around 100 Vision Australia members testing the product’s suitability for individuals with visual impairments. (Vision Australia is a national provider of services and support for people who are blind or have low vision.) The digital birth certificate app offers large text, voice-over capabilities, and compatibility with external keyboards.
Security measures for the digital certificates include holograms, timestamps, identity proofing, and multi-factor authentication within the app, ensuring both safety and user confidence in this digital shift.
The introduction of digital birth certificates in New South Wales represents a significant step within a broader, ambitious effort across Australia to modernize and secure identity verification systems. As Australia gears up for the tentative launch of a national digital ID system by July 1st, spearheaded by the Department of Finance, the efforts in NSW complement these federal endeavors.
The national system aims to streamline access to both private and public sector services, allowing individuals to choose from accredited providers like Australia Post, Mastercard, and OCR Labs.
Source: The Mandarin
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April 17, 2024 – by the Mobile ID World Editorial Team
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