Service NSW is piloting a NSW Digital ID to make it easier for people to prove their identity when dealing with government, without needing to show or provide copies of identity documents.
Why we are collecting your personal information
As part of this pilot, Service NSW is giving NSW residents the opportunity to sign up for a NSW Digital Identity and use it in a limited number of online government transactions, before it becomes more widely available.
To be eligible to create a NSW Digital ID you must have a MyServiceNSW Account and be a NSW resident, aged 16 years or over. You are also required to prove your identity by:
- verifying 3 identity documents with the issuer of those documents
- completing a biometric face verification,
- Australian Death Check.
Personal information we will collect
Creating a NSW Digital ID is voluntary. If you choose to create a NSW Digital ID Service NSW will collect the following personal information to complete a digital proof of identity check:
- Details from your Proof of Identity documents, such as but not limited to, your name, date of birth and document details (such as number, type and effective dates). The information you are required to provide will depend on the documents you choose. You will be required to choose at least three Proof of Identity documents (one must be a NSW Driver Licence or NSW Photo Card). Service NSW retain will the name and date of birth from your proof of identity document, but will not retain the identifiers from those documents.
- Service NSW will capture biometric information from you by scanning your face to verify your identity using a biometric face verification system. Service NSW will not retain biometric information captured to complete this process. We only retain a record of the outcome of the face verification process.
- Your name and date of birth are collected to complete a Death Check, to ensure your identity is not registered with the Australian Death Check service.
- We collect a record of how you transact with your NSW Digital ID for audit and other purposes (activity information). This includes to identify and investigate suspicious or inappropriate use of a NSW Digital ID.
How we will use and disclose your personal information
Service NSW will use personal information for the primary purpose that it was collected for, or a directly related purpose. This includes to:
- Create a reusable NSW Digital ID in your MyServiceNSW Account that contains your verified full name and date of birth, together with the date of issue and date of expiry
Service NSW will disclose personal information as part of creating a NSW Digital ID to:
- the Document Verification Service (DVS), provided by the Attorney-General’s Department, or with Services Australia for Commonwealth concession cards. This is to check the validity of personal information from your identity documents against the records of Australian Government and state and territory government agencies that issue those documents.
- Transport for NSW to match your image against your NSW Photo Card or your NSW driver licence photo using the biometric face verification system.
- ID Support NSW, to check your name and date of birth against the Registry for the purpose of performing a death check.
You can find more information about how your personal information is handled as part of the digital proof of identity verification process in the Face Verification and Identity Checks Privacy Collection Notice.
Service NSW will disclose personal information when you use a NSW Digital ID for an online transaction to:
- the agency that you are transacting with to verify your identity. This may include your full verified name and your date of birth. You should also refer to the collection notice provided to you when completing the relevant transaction that is relying on your NSW Digital ID to verify your identity.
Service NSW will not provide your personal information to third parties for any purposes not already stated in this privacy collection notice, or to which you have not otherwise consented, unless Service NSW is required, or authorised, by law to do so.
Protecting your information
Service NSW undertakes fraud prevention and detection activities, including the use of data analytic tools, and investigation activities. As part of this Service NSW may use information you have provided to determine whether a person:
- has applied for a NSW Digital ID for fraudulent or otherwise unauthorised purposes
- has created, held, or used the personal information of another person for an improper purpose
- has provided information that is misleading or untrue
- who has received a NSW Digital ID was eligible to receive that digital identity
Service NSW may disclose personal information to NSW Police or other law enforcement agencies if Service NSW reasonably suspects a case of fraud or other unauthorised activity when creating or using a NSW Digital ID.
If Transport for NSW discovers a potential fraud or identity-related issue has arisen in relation to the NSW Driver Licence or NSW Photo Card you used to establish a NSW Digital ID, then Transport for NSW will notify Service NSW with the date of birth and a unique customer reference number associated with that identity document. Service NSW may use this information to deactivate, suspend or cancel the NSW Digital ID.
Deactivating your NSW Digital Identity
You can opt-out of having a NSW Digital ID at any time through your My Service Account. This will result in your NSW Digital ID being deactivated, and you will not be able to use it for any future transactions.
If you later decide you would like to use a NSW Digital ID, you will need to create a new one, including performing the proof of identity process.
Whether you are required by law to provide us with this information
Providing us with the requested information is not required by law. However, if you choose not to provide us with the requested information, you will not be able to create a NSW Digital ID.
Access and correction of your information
You can access your NSW Digital ID by:
- logging into your MyServiceNSW Account and reviewing and correcting your information contained in your profile, or
- if you are unable to log in to your MyServiceNSW Account you should contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 for assistance.
If you need to correct personal information contained in your NSW Digital ID, you will need to opt-out from (deactivate) your current NSW Digital ID and create a new one with the correct or updated information.
More information
Please visit www.service.nsw.gov.au/privacy for more information about how Service NSW handles your personal information. This includes how you can access and seek correction of the information, how privacy enquiries or complaints can be made, how information is securely stored and how to contact us. Service NSW is located at 2-24 Rawson Place Sydney NSW 2000.