- Western Australians can now use their driver's licence for photo verification in the myID app
- The Australian Government's Face Verification Service supports a strong level of identity verification as an alternative to using an Australian passport
- New feature now available in the myID app
Western Australians can now use their WA driver's licence or learner's permit for photo verification in the myID app.
WA is the first Australian State or Territory to allow people to consent to their photograph or selfie to be compared with the photograph on their WA driver's licence.
Previously only available with an Australian passport, photo verification in the myID app is enabled through the Face Verification Service (FVS).
The FVS is part of the Australian Government's Identity Matching Services, established under national legislation and agreements signed by all jurisdictions. It enables secure sharing and matching of identity information with strong privacy safeguards to protect personal data.
By removing the need for document copies, the FVS reduces the risk of forged or stolen IDs and helps prevent identity crime.
One in four Australians will be a victim of identity crime at some point in their lives, with an estimated annual direct cost of over $3 billion to the Australian economy.
Creating a Strong myID is a secure way for people to prove who they are when accessing government online services. Photo verification adds an extra layer of protection by checking they are a real person, the right person, in real time.
The myID can also be used to log in to DoTDirect to access more than 140 Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure services as well as another 250 government online services.
Enabling WA driver licences to be used for photo verification in the myID app has been a joint venture with WA Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure, WA Police Force, the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department and the Australian Taxation Office.
For more information on the FVS, visit www.idmatch.gov.au/access-our-services
For more information on photo verification to boost your identity strength on the myID app, visit www.myID.gov.au
As stated by Minister Assisting the Transport Minister Jessica Stojkovski:
"The Cook Government is strengthening identity security, ensuring Western Australians are better protected from identity crime through safer, consent-based verification.
"The Face Verification Service (FVS) reduces the need for organisations and companies to keep copies of your personal identity documents such as drivers licence or learner's permit or passport.
"The FVS will better protect our customers from identity crime and save the Australian community a substantial amount of time and money."
