Organisations can accept credentials stored in your Service NSW app wallet to request or confirm information about you. This may happen in person or online, and it only occurs with your consent.
When you share a credential, it’s important to understand who is requesting your information and how they will handle it. We’ve included some practical information below on what to look out for when you share your credential.
What happens when you use your credential?
- You will be asked for consent before any information is shared.
- You should check that the organisation is only requesting the information needed. For example, to enter a licensed premises you may need to only prove that you are over 18. You should not have to share other information like your photo, name and address.
- When you agree to share information, it comes directly from your device. This means that Service NSW does not collect or track how, where, or with whom you use your credential.
- Service NSW can’t access the personal information in your credential unless you consent to share it with us as part of a transaction we’re delivering.
- A collection notice or privacy policy should be provided to you as part of the transaction to outline how your credential information will be used.
What can I do if I am concerned or want to complain about a verifier?
If you're unsure about sharing information with a verifier, you should:
- ask to see the organisation’s privacy policy, or
- refuse consent if something doesn’t feel right.
If you have concerns about how a verifier has handled your information, you should contact the organisation directly. This gives them an opportunity to explain or address your privacy concern. If they don’t respond or you’re not happy with their response, you can escalate your complaint to the appropriate privacy regulator. For most non-government organisations this is the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
You may also report your concern to Service NSW. Some organisations have an agreement with Service NSW to handle information in a certain way when verifying a credential. If this is applicable, we can investigate whether the organisation has met its obligations under their agreement with us.
Service NSW App Verification
The Service NSW app can also be used to check the validity of upgraded credentials through the ‘check a licence or credential’ feature. Consent to share is required and only minimal information from the credential is shared to the device requesting verification. This information is only viewable on the requester’s device for 5 minutes and cannot be accessed after this time.