The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) welcomes Minister Shorten’s announcement today on the expansion of the Digital ID Trust exchange (TEx). This is a significant piece of digital infrastructure and we look forward to the acceleration of the digital transformation of government, including through the implementation of digital ID and myGov enhancements.
Tech Council of Australia CEO, Damian Kassabgi said “Australia has made significant progress on digital transformation, but it’s important that government service delivery keeps pace with growing consumer expectations.”
“In a landscape of increasing fraud, scams, cyber-attacks and data breaches, we need to encourage greater adoption of smart technologies that will improve Australia’s resilience. The TEx is a key enabler for Australians to choose what they share, consent to sharing it, and trust that it is being shared securely.”
“We welcome the announcements today, and also note the Government’s commitment that use is optional for citizens and that data security is at the core of digital ID – this means that the government won’t track where a digital ID has been used.
“The TEx acts as a ‘blind’ system that limits information sharing between participants. It is governed by a rigorous set of data standards for exchange parties, specified down to token endpoints, and includes additional protections written into rules that go above and beyond existing privacy laws that give consumers more choice and control about the personal information that they hand over to governments and businesses.”
“The TEx Data Standards work to include a strong prohibition on identity exchange providers (IXPs) brokering information about authentication to any service providers (ISPs).”
”The Government has also ensured that the private sector can continue to innovate in this critical technology to meet the demand of consumers.”
“This is a great example of the power of technology to enable better services for Australians, taking the friction out of government processes, as well as helping citizens better interact with the private sector and it can’t come soon enough.”
“The TCA and our members look forward to continuing to collaborate with the Government on digital ID and exploring opportunities for pilots to ensure its secure and seamless rollout,” Mr Kassabgi said.
The TCA recently hosted a roundtable with Minister Shorten and members of private industry, academia and civil society to talk about moving Australia towards a digital future.
