The Digital Transformation Office is not going to release information about how it plans to build a national digital identity system as originally planned, possibly to avoid a clash with the launch of its “digital marketplace” for technology procurement.
As we’ve previously reported, DTO digital identity leader Rachel Dixon said details of an alpha prototype would be released on August 29, speaking at the Technology in Government conference a few weeks ago.
On Friday afternoon, in response to a different enquiry regarding a public letter to Dixon from the Australian Privacy Foundation, a DTO spokesperson told The Mandarin:
“The launch of the identity framework alpha is not taking place on Monday.”
What the DTO did have scheduled for Monday, however, was the launch of the beta version of another DTO project, the digital marketplace platform for technology vendors that want to do business with government.
Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation Angus Taylor did the honours at a demonstration event in Canberra, and The Mandarin was there.
The spokesperson said on Friday the DTO had no comment on the APF letter, which makes strong criticisms of the project, and provided no further information about when the alpha would come out.
According to the description on the agency’s website, there are in fact two parts to the digital identity project. The delayed alpha prototype will demonstrate “a service to verify the identity of individuals to a level that means they can access government services”. The same team is also working on “a Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF) to make it easier for the DTO and other government agencies to work together”.
Any feedback or news tips? Here’s where to contact the relevant team.