Government likens myGov to a garaged Ferrari

The government is hoping to increase usage of myGov by expanding it beyond its current role as a gateway to digital government services and setting it up as a kind of identity exchange.

Government services minister Bill Shorten said on Tuesday that a proof-of-concept is being led by Services Australia “between now and December”, using $11.4 million of seed funding.

The anticipated result is Trust Exchange or TEx.

The model looks similar to other digital identity exchanges being promoted by the private sector, in that it is “not a wallet or app or ID” but simply a mechanism to allow a person to verify who they are.

However, rather than allowing people to reuse an existing trusted identity from a bank or similar when trying to establish who they are with a new service provider, the idea here is that identity could be established using information held by the federal government.

Shorten suggested that, when checking into a hotel, instead of handing over a driver’s license or passport, “you would scan a QR code on the front desk – or use technology similar to tap-to-pay machine – that digitally ‘shakes hands’ with your myGov wallet.”

“You choose only the information you wish to share with the hotel from your digital wallet and consent to its use,” he said.

“You will have a record in your myGov wallet of what you shared and with whom you shared it.”

He also suggested banks, telcos and real estate agents could also be customers.

Shorten said that whatever format the trusted token wound up being, it would not be of value if accessed by a bad actor,

“The token will be a valuable promise to the club, but of zero value to a cybercriminal because the confirmation token will not contain any personal information,” he said.

“All that has been exchanged has been a digital ‘thumbs up’ from the government that you are who you say you are.”

Shorten said that between now and the end of the year, TEx “will establish the ability to issue a verified credential, the ability to selectively share information, and the ability to prove identity without sharing any information.”

“By January 2025, the proof of concept will be complete, and we’ll assess what our options are for pilots,” he said.

Shorten said TEx would be “an opt-in system” but he hoped its utility and convenience would guarantee take-up.

And the government will need to see take-up, as it is banking on TEx to transform myGov and increase its utility to citizens.

“myGov is the largest online platform in the country with 5.6 million people now using the myGov app – but at the moment its potential is underutilised,” Shorten said.

“We have a Ferrari in the garage that we only take out to do the grocery shopping.

“I want to change that.”