In this keynote presentation, Victor Dominello, (Director UNSW/UTS Trustworthy Digital Society Hub, Tech Council of Australia Board Member and Former Minister for Customer Service and Digital Govt and Founder of ServiceGen), emphasises the shift from globalisation to a globalised world based on trusted and non-trusted blocks, influenced by events like the Ukraine crisis and COVID-19.

Trust, particularly in the context of digital identity and verifiable credentials, is a vital factor in this evolving world.

He highlights the significance of digital identity and verifiable credentials, describing them as the “number one priority” in the modern world. Victor outlines the importance of ‘who,’ ‘what,’ +and ‘why’ in this context— who you are (ID), what you are allowed to do (credentials), and why you are trustworthy (ethics, transparency).

There is the necessity for a revaluation of trust architecture in the digital age, emphasising the need to empower individuals (Big Citizens) and centralise control around the individual to counterbalance the gravitational pull towards the centralisation of power.

The potential challenges of this are many, such as the role of privacy, concerns about surveillance states, and the existence of a ‘shadowland’ where non-compliance or resistance might persist. Victor emphasises the importance of transparency and collaboration across states and territories to create standardised, interoperable systems.

Key Takeaways:

  • A decentralised, interoperable digital identity system with verifiable credentials, focusing on empowering individuals and enhancing trust in the digital age is crucial.
  • There are ongoing concerns about privacy issues and mistrust in government involvement based on past experiences like the Australia Card. Solutions should be transparent and privacy-conscious striking a balance between trust enhancement and privacy protection.
  • States and territories should collaborate efforts and align across to set standards and achieve digital identity interoperability, which underscores the need for national leadership in this domain.
Contributors
Victor Dominello, MP Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government at NSW Government & Member for Ryde
The current Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government is Victor Dominello since 2 April 2019, having previously served as the Minister... More

The current Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government is Victor Dominello since 2 April 2019, having previously served as the Minister for Finance, Services and Property from January 2017 until April 2019. The minister is assisted in that role by Eleni Petinos, the Minister for Fair Trading, appointed with effect from 21 December 2021.

Together, the ministers administer their portfolio through the Customer Service cluster, in particular the Department of Customer Service, Service NSW, the Office of Fair Trading, the State Records Authority, NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Liquor & Gaming NSW, and a range of other government agencies.

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