NSW govt selects Mattr for ‘Digital ID and Verifiable Credentials’ issuance

The New South Wales (NSW) Government has announced its partnership with digital trust specialist and Spark subsidiary Mattr for its new NSW ‘Digital ID and Verifiable Credentials’ program.

This program is intended to allow New South Wales residents to confirm their identity and service eligibility without disclosing excessive personal information.

Mattr provides NSW government apps with code that would enable the issuance of verifiable credentials. Third parties can verify these credentials without any dependence on the issuer.

“We are proud to support this ground-breaking project that will offer the people of NSW more security and control over their personal information and more convenience in their daily lives,” Mattr Chief Executive Officer Dr. Claire Barber says.

Verifiable credentials can be used for various day-to-day tasks, from university qualifications to company credentials, as well as other documents such as licenses and permits.

The company says these credentials are stored in applications on the user’s device and enable them to prove details about themselves without needing to present physical evidence or appear in person.

“We apply data minimization principles that enable individuals to share the information they need to, without oversharing, and which avoid the creation of unnecessary data ‘honeypots’ that can then be targeted by bad actors,” adds Barber.

The NSW Government will leverage Mattr’s digital platform solutions (Mattr VII and Mattr Pi) to implement its NSW Digital ID and Verifiable Credentials program.

A pilot of the selfie biometrics component of NSW’s decentralized digital ID was carried out last year. Government websites still refer to the program as “NSW Digital ID,” but elsewhere refer to the same page for the “Digital Identity & Verifiable Credentials (DIVC) program.”

Last December, Australia’s federal government launched its myGov mobile app. That app also has face biometric log-in options built-in and a digital wallet. Government officials say it is meant to be a centralized location for managing identity and accessing government and private sector services on mobile devices.

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Australia  |  digital ID  |  government purchasing  |  Mattr  |  verifiable credentials