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Why we want your input
Interest in verifiable credentials (VCs) is growing in both governments and the private sector. VCs have the potential to increase the efficiency with which credentials are used in Australia and help grow productivity across the economy.
As the VC system continues to evolve, the Australian Government (the Government) has a role to play, particularly to help build trust within that system and unlock the system-wide benefits VCs may provide.
Work is ongoing to establish Commonwealth policy on the adoption and use of VCs to ensure it is well positioned to fully participate in the broader economy-wide VC system.
The Government is seeking views from the community on its proposed VC policies and any issues or opportunities to be considered. Feedback and submissions from the consultation will inform further VC policy development to enhance public trust and confidence in VCs.
How you can provide your views
Two separate, though connected discussion papers have been prepared:
- Part A: Embracing the potential of verifiable credentials in the Commonwealth [PDF 763KB] is the primary consultation paper and addresses high-level considerations relevant to VCs.
- Part B: Proposed Commonwealth policy positions for the use of verifiable credentials [PDF 811KB] contains 9 modules that present a range of proposed policy positions for VCs that are being considered by Government.
This approach is intended to help you to easily identify areas of the consultation you would like to engage with and provide targeted comments and feedback across one or both papers.
All feedback is welcome.
After reading the accompanying papers and the information below, fill out your details and upload your submission.
What will be the outcome of this consultation?
The consultation provides the opportunity for us to collect and consider your feedback through written submissions and will inform further VC policy development, including the potential formulation of a Commonwealth VC Trust Framework.
The policies and potential framework will be primarily developed to guide Commonwealth agencies adopting VCs – as both issuers of Commonwealth VCs and consumers (verifiers) of VCs. The framework may also offer useful guidance for organisations outside the Commonwealth that may choose to adopt aspects of it when implementing VCs.
VC policy will play a part in creating the common foundations for the VC system and will also promote opportunities for innovation and productivity growth.
What will happen to your information
Submissions may be released and made publicly available on the Digital ID System website.
Please indicate whether you would like your submission to remain confidential, in part, or in full.
Data will be kept private and secured, and stored on encrypted drives or computers, protected by passwords and firewalls.
For more information, see the Australian Privacy Principle 5 notice below under Privacy Collection Notice.
Making a submission
Please fill in the form below, and upload your submission in the relevant field, or provide your feedback in the text field provided.
Privacy Collection Notice
Your personal information is protected by law, including the Privacy Act 1988, and is collected by the Department of Finance (Finance) to manage the submissions provided as part of its consultation on the Australian Government’s proposed policies for VCs. The personal information collected in this public consultation may be disclosed to Finance employees, other Australian Government agency employees, as well as relevant state and territory government officials, where appropriate or necessary to report on feedback, and formulate policy and related recommendations to Government on verifiable credentials.
Please do not provide any personal or sensitive information relating to another person, unless you have sought that person’s consent to provide their information for this purpose and have shown them this Privacy Collection Notice. Additionally, we ask that responses do not include any unnecessary personal or sensitive information, and note if it is provided, it will be collected.
Submissions may be released and made publicly available on the Digital ID System website. Submitters may, as part of the submission process indicate that they would like their submission, or part of their submission to remain confidential.
Additionally, Finance may disclose your submission(s) to third party service providers and third-party service provider artificial intelligence software to assist and inform analysis of submissions. Third parties who contract with Finance are contractually bound to protect personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act. Finance will not use or disclose the personal information collected in this consultation for another purpose without your consent unless required or authorised by law.
For more information about how Finance handles your personal information, including information about access to or correction of your personal information, please visit the Department of Finance's Privacy Policy.
