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Why you might be about to see a lot more of this logo
Tom BurtonGovernment editor
A new brand and logo, myID, could become as prominent as Medicare or myGov as the government forges ahead with a digital tool for Australians to prove their identity without physical passports, driver’s licences or utility bills.
The Australian Tax Office has applied to trademark myID and a new stylised, barcode-esque logo of Australia, both of which are expected to become the centrepiece of the new national digital identification system.
Individuals’ credentials, such as age, address and birthplace, will be securely linked to a myID app and able to be kept in a mobile digital wallet. This will allow them to get into a club, purchase alcohol, apply for a rental lease or a loan, rent a car or receive emergency payments through government, such as after a national disaster.
It will also enable workers to easily establish their work credentials and authorisations such as working with children checks.
The myID platform is expected to quickly emerge as the main way to access a vast suite of federal, state and local government services, as well as products and services from businesses that choose to use myID.
Users in countries like Norway with mature digital identity systems use their identity app about 220 times a year to access a suite of government and business services.
The government had persisted with an alternative myGovID brand, established four years ago. But ATO consumer research found widespread confusion with myGov, the federal government website that brings together services such as Centrelink, Medicare, and the ATO.
“The updated name and visual identity are the result of extensive research, and an updated user interface will be piloted with end users for feedback prior to the re-launch [in late 2024],” an ATO spokesman said.
Legal firm Ashurst has lodged an application to trademark the new myID brand name and associated logo on behalf of the Melbourne branch of the ATO. The application to IP Australia is due to be finalised by June, subject to any counterclaims.
The new brand comes as legislation to formalise the new national system is expected to be debated by the Senate as early as next week.
After over a decade of development, the national scheme is due to commence mid-year. It is proposed to be phased in, starting with government services first.
Banks and retailers have been promoting their identity app, ConnectID. They are concerned that the government myID brand will quickly become the dominant form of digital identification, denying consumers a private-sector alternative.
The legislation confirms the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission as the regulator, adding to the commission’s fast-expanding oversight of the digital economy.
The opposition supports businesses getting earlier access, arguing it will promote earlier adoption of the new system and avoid what it calls a “big government” model. The Senate crossbench is looking for assurances that key privacy reforms will be accelerated.
Tom Burton has held senior editorial and publishing roles with The Mandarin, The Sydney Morning Herald and as Canberra bureau chief for The Australian Financial Review. He has won three Walkley awards. Connect with Tom on Twitter. Email Tom at tom.burton@afr.com
