Australian Government releases exposure draft for Digital Identity Bill

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The Australian Government has released an exposure draft of the Trusted Digital Identity Bill, supporting the expansion of the Digital Identity System while adding safeguards that will secure and protect the system and personal information. 

Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business Stuart Robert said that once the legislation is passed by Parliament, it will establish permanent oversight and governance structures for laws that are important to privacy and consumer protections.  

“Our nation has transformed the way we go about our daily lives, using the internet to do our shopping to banking to accessing government services,” he said. 

“So, the Australian Government is acting to ensure there is a secure, safe and easy way for Australians to access these services.” 

Minister Robert stated that having a safe and thriving digital economy was the best way to improve the country’s economy and that it was only possible by securing the process for Australians to prove their identity online. 

The release of the exposure draft of the Trusted Digital Identity Bill is the next step in the journey of consultations that will make sure that the legislation will be robust and fit-for-purpose while meeting public expectations. 

“The draft legislation I am releasing today will build on strong safeguards already in place, providing the authority for a consistent set of rules that will protect Australians and Australian businesses,” Minister Robert said. 

“We have been actively engaging all interested parties throughout the consultation process and this commitment to co-design and ongoing conversation continues with the opportunity to comment on the proposed legislation.”

The work that was achieved under these initiatives, along with the future opportunities that the legislation will enable, are all critical for Australia’s ambition to become a leading digital economy and society by 2030.

 Source: Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business Media Release