Michelle Ananda-Rajah (Higgins, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Imagine not having to produce your documents to verify your identity over and over again to rent a place, to change bank lenders, to take out a new mobile phone plan or to take out one for your kids. What about not having to rifle through boxes or files underneath the bed or behind the wardrobe to find those original documents? A digital ID will allow Australians to verify their identities once and to use this for various government services, telcos and businesses, rather than repeatedly supplying paper or scanned documents for individual organisations.

For decades, Australians have proven their identity when applying for government services, applying to rent a property or for a loan, starting jobs or opening bank accounts through the 100-point check. Paper documents or cards are provided and calculated to make up that 100 points. Photocopies and scans are stored in the systems of different organisations under varying standards of security—your local real estate agent versus a bank, for example. Scans, PDFs and photos are transmitted by email or phone. Real estate agents, accommodation providers, telcos and even loyalty programs all require that ID to be proven to some degree using hard copies. Renters, mortgage holders and people starting a business provide these documents over and over and over again. This legislation will reduce the need for individuals to provide such documents and for organisations to safely store them.

I shudder to think of all of the times that I have hastily sent a photo of my driver's licence via email to prove my identity and of where this has actually ended up. The number of times we all have divulged personal information—and the many silos it is currently stored in—over time is staggering. Is it any wonder that identity theft and scams are growth industries?

Digital ID in Australia is not brand new. It is currently available for government services through myGovID. More than 10.5 million digital IDs have been created using myGovID, which enables access to over 130 federal government and state and territory government services. Some private providers, such as Mastercard, are also accredited to provide digital IDs, but the current situation has limitations. It is not national, so the Commonwealth can only verify people biometrically against their passports, not against their drivers licences or any other ID documents issued by other governments. Also, it can only be used to establish identity for government services. It is not currently legislated and requires stronger privacy and security frameworks to be used in other sectors and domains like the private sector.

Apart from the obvious security risk associated with having personal data sitting in multiple places under variable security arrangements, there is the red tape—delays and the associated cost of doing business, and your personal time, a finite but precious resource that should be closely guarded.

This legislation before us aims to, firstly, strengthen an existing voluntary accreditation scheme for digital ID providers. It will ensure only trustworthy and reliable private and public sector entities are accredited to provide digital ID services to Australians. Accredited providers will be given a trustmark to build consumer trust and awareness of digital IDs, and there will be severe penalties for providers who breach the terms of their accreditation. These bills will embed privacy and consumer protections additional to those within the Privacy Act. Finally, they will strengthen the governance for an economy wide digital ID system by establishing a digital ID regulator, systems administrator and data standards chair. These are the structures to ensure privacy and consumer protections in the bills will be met.

It is important to note that establishing a digital ID is voluntary and at no cost, as it is at present. Individuals will not be compelled to sign up to a digital ID; it will be entirely their own choice. Australians who choose to keep using paper documents to prove their identity will be able to do so. But, I must say, once this takes off the benefits of using a digital ID will far outweigh using analog and paper documents. It will be a step change in people's lives.

Organisations will not be able to mandate use of a digital ID for individuals. People will need to consent to establishing a digital ID and will need to activate its use each time they wish to employ it. They can deactivate their consent at any time, and there will be no ID card or number. It is appropriate, however, to ensure that the privacy and security framework around the digital ID system is robust and that voluntary participation is futureproofed. This legislation proposes something quite simple but the legislation that underpins it is worthy of detailed consideration. Questions such as the access law enforcement agencies may have and whether profiling of individuals can occur through the system are important and need to be clear and strictly enforced—and they will be. Amendments that have already been proposed by a Senate report are being considered.

The benefits are multiple. Privacy and security are enhanced as the need to provide documentation is not required over and over again. At a time when productivity is on everyone's minds, digital ID is an important economic and productivity reform. Quicker and more accurate identity provisions allow businesses and their customers to interact more efficiently. More speedily obtaining a tax file number or submitting a tax return will reduce the time individuals spend on annoying, life-sapping admin.

Then there are the benefits to vulnerable Australians, noting that anyone is only a step or two away from vulnerability. A woman fleeing domestic violence, a family rebuilding after a natural disaster like a flood or bushfire, a young person filling in paperwork for their first job or to duplicate their data for those multiple rental applications—these people will know that verification of their identity is accessible digitally.

Digital IDs enhance equality. Insecure housing, short-term or insecure employment and serious mental health conditions do not always allow secure identity document storage. When identity has been difficult to prove due to family estrangement, unregistered birth, unofficial adoption, living in a remote location, language barriers or any other factor, proving identity once digitally and having it accessible as needed can be invaluable. The digital ID could be the ticket to participation in that inclusive economy we all wish for. Wishing for it is good but voting for it is better.

The world's richest people acknowledge the link between participation and productivity. According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in August last year:

Digital IDs are an effective tool against poverty … If a person cannot prove who they are, can they take advantage of all the opportunities society has to offer?

I commend these bills to the House as important planks in our progress towards a more secure digital future and a productive, streamlined and connected economy, and as a means of providing smoother access to services for all.

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