Assistant Minister for Digital Transformation Angus Taylor says the federal government's new identification tool will see Australians avoid more than 30 different login systems for online services.
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The new opt-in digital ID tool Govpass has entered the beta testing phase, with a new video released on Tuesday to demonstrate how to sign up.
It will require Australians to prove their identification only once to the government. The platform will undergo further testing with individuals and government agencies in the first half of next year.
"A digital identity will be about choosing a faster, simpler option to move between online services.
"The Australian government has more than 30 different logins for digital services. Not only does this create extra work for users, it represents unnecessary expense for agencies.
"I would like to see a point where we can do away with all those user names and passwords, that need to continue to be updated, when you login to a service."
To create a Govpass account, individuals will be asked to provide details from a number of personal documents, such as a birth certificate or driver's licence.
The documents are verified by the issuing authority or government agency before the user provides a photo of themselves.
Photos taken using a computer, phone or tablet, will be compared with an existing photographic ID such as a passport, using the beefed up Attorney-General's Department's facial verification system.
Mr Taylor said details from the documents, or the photograph, are not retained by the Govpass system.
