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The government’s proposal for new digital ID cards that would replace physical documents with mobile phones has sparked widespread concern among security experts and non-Labor MPs.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten on Tuesday announced a $11.4 million trial of a QR code mobile phone app that would replace a driver’s licence or passport to verify a person’s identity.
The Trust Exchange, or TEx, scheme will link to a person’s myGov wallet or forthcoming digital ID card to verify a person’s identity and provide required information, such as proof of age to enter a pub or club.
Mr Shorten said TEx could be used to confirm hotel reservations without requiring customers to hand over their licences or other forms of identification, a use that could reduce the amount of information collected by private businesses.
If someone needs to prove their age, TEx can show that the user is over 18 without revealing details such as home address.
The technology can store and reveal information such as a person’s date of birth, address, citizenship, visa status, qualifications, occupational licences or working with children checks, as well as any other information held by the government.
While Mr Shorten hailed it as a “world-leading” means of identification in a speech at the National Press Club in Canberra, others were concerned that a person’s entire identity could be accessed through one device.
Cybersecurity expert Shara Evans said putting “all your eggs in one basket” could be risky.
Cybersecurity expert Shara Evans warns about putting too much data in one place
“I do like the idea of making identity verification easy without having to disclose sensitive personal information or store that sensitive data all over the place,” she said.
“However, this must be considered very carefully and a plan put in place to enable comprehensive and rapid identity updates in the event of a data breach/exploitation/loss of a consumer device.”
“I’m always a little concerned when there’s a lot of sensitive information stored in one place, regardless of who’s collecting and monitoring it, because there are so many nefarious ways that information could be leaked.”
Others raised concerns about privacy, the relative ease of creating false credentials on a screen rather than on a physical document, and what would happen to those who wanted to opt out.
However, Mr Shorten was very positive about the new digital ID card.
“ID cards are a verifiable credential that is a secure and effective way for businesses to confirm someone’s identity,” she said.
“It will significantly reduce customer onboarding procedures and data storage requirements, saving businesses money.”
Mr Shorten assured the audience it would be an “opt-in” system where “you choose what is shared, you agree to what is shared and you can trust it is safe to share”.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten is trialling a new government app that will verify identity without having to hand over a driver’s licence or other similar documents
“In either case, whether it’s online or in person, you choose what you share, you consent to what you share, and you can trust that it’s secure,” he said.
He said the proof-of-concept trial had received “in-principle support” from the Australian Technology Council, Commonwealth Bank and jobs platform SEEK.
“Once operational, TEx will have countless applications,” Mr Shorten said.
“It has the potential to spark innovation across the economy, creating opportunities across industries as well as small businesses.”
“We are moving forward with this and expect it to be available by the end of 2024.
Liberal backbencher Russell Broadbent, who has been a vocal critic of the Albanese government’s digital ID bill that was forced through parliament earlier this year, expressed concerns it would infringe on privacy.
The Trust Exchange (TEx) scheme will be linked to an individual’s myGov wallet or digital ID, which will be launched by the end of the year.
Broadbent said his advisers would tell him this is the future and this is the way to go.
“Is he checking for unintended consequences? Questions about freedom of choice, freedom of information, freedom of association?”
Mr Broadbent is concerned that using QR codes to enter venues, like some governments use, Issuing COVID-19 vaccine passports during the pandemicwhich could result in people being tracked against their will.
“Our privacy is being violated like never before,” he said.
“This will further infringe on our privacy because they are bringing all of an individual’s information into one place, which he acknowledged in the press release.
“If they put all the information in one place, then from a scammer or hacker’s perspective, you just have to hack into that space and you can get all the information.”
Mr Broadbent noted that despite his assurances that not all information on the Covid app would be For any purpose other than tracking the case Western Australian police have twice used QR code check-in data in investigations.
“This is a complete violation of human rights,” Broadbent said.
Liberal MPs raise concerns about whether government’s new tool can be used for tracing operations
One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said she opposed the new verification tool, calling it a “silly idea”.
“Has Bill Shorten adequately considered the human rights implications of this new process?
“We’re not even in the middle of a stressful situation at the moment.
“If we were at war, wouldn’t they be allowed to examine anything under wartime conditions? Is there any data available?”
One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson also told Daily Mail Australia she opposed the move.
“One Nation has always opposed a national digital ID system and I am opposed to this latest idea,” she told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday.
“The security of this data is not guaranteed. This year alone there have been numerous data breaches, including the Medisecure breach involving the personal information of nearly 13 million people.
“What stops a clever person from creating a convincing QR code filled with fake data?
“Is there any way to stop someone from using another person’s phone? I don’t see how this protects a dining establishment from fake IDs or from being prosecuted for serving alcohol to underage patrons.”
Senator Hanson said handing over a driver’s licence was “no more inconvenient than holding your phone up to a QR code reader”.
“I think this is just another silly idea that puts Australians’ personal data at risk and creates another unnecessary burden on taxpayers,” she said.
Daniel Lewkovitz, director of Sydney security firm Calamity, said he was “very sceptical” of the government’s claim that the measure remained “voluntary”.
“The government will continue to talk about safety and protecting people, but I want them to do a better job enforcing existing laws before they introduce more legislation that affects law-abiding citizens.”
Mr. Lekovitz is also skeptical of some of the measures claimed to be helpful.
“The funniest thing about this is that it suggests it will prevent underage drinking,” he said.
“It’s much easier to forge an image on a phone than a plastic ID card, and while there are security mechanisms built in to prevent this (as there are on the existing NSW digital driver licence), I’m not aware of any private security or police using these tools to verify the authenticity of a licence.”
Mr Shorten told ABC Radio National on Wednesday he was asking the agency to use “open source” coding to boost confidence in the act.
“We’re going to allow people to see the code that we used to make this software,” he said.
“Services Australia will still be responsible for the coding and I want to be clear about that, but I think it’s important if we’re going to build trust and for consumers or citizens to feel like they have control.
“It will be open source for them, and people can technically understand, drill down and confirm that the system is operating the way we describe it.”
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