The digital transformation is the next step not only for businesses and industries but also for countries as a whole. Emerging technologies, such as blockchain, brought in many opportunities to streamline the process and provide secured access. As for Australia, its technological move is to make access to government services simple, easy and secured with identity identification.
The country’s Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) so far is in partnership with Services Australia, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Department of Home Affairs, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) have already started in testing the service, and that its biometric component will become available for public testing in the middle of the year. According to a document submitted to the Select Committee on Financial Technology and Regulatory Technology, DTA is successful in its testing of digital products on its verification capabilities. The process on this is using software products to compare a selfie with a photo on their passports. Since it was a success, the agency was able to prove that biometric digital identity is possible to work with.
Not only that, digital identities will also allow secured access to banks, shops, and even airlines. In other words, a digital identity platform allows processing online; no more need for intermediaries or extra costs.
Before, the concept of biometrics through fingerprints and the iris seems like a farfetched idea. But now, technology jumped and can establish other means of verification, such as voice and face scanning. It removed the common challenges organisations face in terms of verification. Through blockchain and a digital identity system, users can prove their identities faster without the need of presenting different physical identities. The digital identity platform is a safe space where users have control over their data. Whether adding or removing information or presenting it to other uses, blockchain and smart contracts ensure each information is authentic; hence, reducing the risk of identity theft and fraud.