Australia’s digital and data ministers have made what appears to be a much stronger commitment than before to move towards the full rollout of a national digital ID system. In the UK, a contractor was chosen to develop a mobile application through which citizens can log into a single digital ID platform to access a variety of government services.
Australian digital ministers to ‘actively explore’ ID scheme
At a recent meeting, ministers agreed to “actively explore” the process of implementing digital ID and also to make adjustments to the way personal data is collected, reported and shared, writes Innovation Aus.
This latest decision by federal digital and data ministers, alongside colleagues at the state and territory level, follows similar previous resolutions to complete the Digital ID Project, which began in 2015, so that Australians can create online accounts to access government services.
A final communiqué from the recent meeting quoted by Innovation Aus reads in part: “Ministers agreed to actively explore the adoption of a national digital identity ecosystem. All governments are working closely together to turn this commitment into tangible benefits for all Australians. This economy-wide solution would bring significant economic benefits to Australia and support Australia’s vision of being a leading digital economy and society by 2030. Ministers also noted the critical importance of interoperability and mutual recognition of digital credentials.
Although the Trusted Digital Identity Bill has yet to pass, some states such as Western Australia have unveiled their own digital ID roadmaps.
The bill is a bill setting out the creation, organization and operation of the proposed trusted digital ID system, which has so far gobbled up A$450 million (US$337 million) since its inception. launch.
One Login to move to the UK next month
The UK government has announced that its One Login for Government project, which aims to enable citizens to access public services from a single online identity, will go live from next month, but will not be fully operational. than in 2025.
According to a TechHQ report, the cost of the project is estimated at around US$550 million, while the systems are expected to help the UK government fight fraud, which is costing the government around £52 billion ($68 billion). ) per year.
Deloitte was chosen to develop the system that will allow individuals to access multiple government services with a single set of credentials.
The government is hoping to tackle some of the challenges that stand in the way of the project, as a 2022 digital trust report from digital identity company Okta reveals that 76% of Britons would not mind incorporating their personal data in a single identity card.
US veterans reap the benefits of biometric app, single sign-on is now possible
The US Department of Veterans Affairs is touting a VA: Health and Benefits biometric app, launched in July last year, as having revolutionized the way veterans access certain health and social benefits.
According to a blog post on the department’s website, more than 300,000 veterans have used the app since its launch, and its success is largely due to the involvement of veterans themselves in the development process. and platform design. Officials say user feedback will be key to making further improvements to the system.
Access to services through the app is enabled through a fingerprint and facial recognition verification system that ensures security and convenience, according to authorities.
In a related development, veterans will also be able to easily access various VA benefits and services from a single sign-on VA account, says another blog post.
According to the VA’s Office of Information and Technology, My HealthEVet has been added to the VA.gov and My VA Health platforms, which can all be accessed from the same account without having to log out or memorize many words. outmoded. My VA Health is the service for veterans already covered by incoming Electronic Health Record System deployments.
Authorities say the single sign-on platform provides an extra layer of security as it requires multi-factor authentication for identity verification.
The introduction of the single sign-on experience for all VA websites is part of the agency’s efforts to provide veterans with an improved customer experience.
Article topics
Australia | digital economy | digital identification | digital identity | government services | identity management | single sign-on | United Kingdom | United States