Coming soon: Biometrics for Australia’s digital service

Australia’s digital service will use biometric technology as part of its digital identity framework, it has been revealed. The identity platform will be opt-in, and will be outlined at the end of August, InnovationAus reports.

“Governments want this stuff because it goes to the heart of improving service experience when there are entitlements, and it avoids fraud,” Rachel Dixon, head of identity for Australia’s Digital Transformation Office told the publication.

“The big mission for us is not to be creepy”, said Dixon. She said that “we’re not trying to be Orwellian; we are trying to be completely privacy respecting”.

The government intends to make the identity service available to all agencies, Dixon added, and will provide help to smaller agencies to develop their own identity solutions.

Governments around the world are grappling with digital identity systems. Singapore has just announced tendering plans for a new system, although it did not specify biometrics.

The UK has launched a system in partnership with private sector companies to provide this service. See also: Four leading digital identity schemes Image from DTO’s Twitter page