The WA government will introduce digital driver’s licenses and a state digital identity by late next year.
The upcoming May budget includes $28.2 million to introduce digital IDs available through the Service WA app and Apple and Google wallets.
For anyone wary of further digitisation of sensitive information, Assistant Transport Minister Jess Stojkovski stressed the ID was not mandatory.
She said the government had no plans to get rid of physical licenses.
“You can choose to have a digital driver’s license if that suits your circumstances and lifestyle, but equally, if you like having a physical driver’s license, you can do that as well,” she said.
“We understand that there are some people who are wary or sensitive around digital licenses or capturing of digital information, and that’s why this is very much an option.
“I know that we have been looking at what other jurisdictions and other states are doing and taking our time to work this out, we’re going to have one of the best digital driver’s licenses around that meets not only national but international standards.”
Stojkovski said licensed venues will need to accept the digital ID and when it’s scanned it will feature less identifying information than physical IDs.
“We’re working with the Office of Digital Government on how that process works,” she said.
“What it will actually mean is that, at the moment, if you go to a club and you present your licence, they capture that information.
“We’re not sure how they store it, what they do with it.
“In this case, when they do have a proof of age, for example, to go into a nightclub or into a pub, they will just be told that you are of age. They won’t get the rest of your data, which they currently do now.”
WA is late to the game when it comes to digital IDs with other states rolling them out in some form years ago.
Stojkovski said the delay was to ensure the digital wallets and licenses are the most secure products possible.
Hamish Hastie is WAtoday’s state political reporter and the winner of five WA Media Awards, including the 2023 Beck Prize for best political journalism.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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