The Department of Internal Affairs

Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs

Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation



 

Have your say about proving your identity online


2/11/2007

The Government is proposing a new service that will allow people to prove their identity to government agencies online and in real time to a high level of confidence. The Department of Internal Affairs is holding a public consultation on the Identity Verification Service between now and 7 December 2007. The aim is to gather feedback from potential users about how this new service might work for them.

This Identity Verification Service will be provided as a part of the All-of-Government Authentication Programme being led by the State Services Commission. The working title for all of the services offered to the public by the Authentication Programme is “igovt”.

The Identity Verification Service will be a completely optional service that people can join or leave at any time. Its aim is to provide users with a quick, easy, secure way to access government agencies online. It will not replace other ways to establish identity.

Sue Boland, Acting General Manager, Identity Services for DIA, says that the Identity Verification Service will allow people to access a range of services online for the first time.

“The internet is changing the way we do things. It is now used regularly across the world to help people to access the services they need when they need them. Right now, New Zealand government agencies cannot provide services that involve the exchange of money or personal information, such as student loans, unless they have verified someone’s identity. That often means repeatedly having to submit documents - usually involving cost and effort for the user.

“This proposed new service is a secure, reliable way to identify that users are who they say they are, online and in real time. It has been designed from the ground up to protect users’ privacy and safeguard their personal information.

“People choosing to use this service will only have to establish their identity to government to a high level once. Once their identity is established, they’ll be able to use a single logon to identify themselves safely and securely whenever they interact with government agencies online.”

Ms Boland says that the public consultation process is an important part of developing the new service and she hopes New Zealanders will become involved.

“Identity fraud is a very real issue. If we can give people safe, secure access to services online, while at the same time ensuring that agencies can be confident of the user’s identity, both parties benefit.

“The Identity Verification Service will open up real opportunities for government to offer new services online, without putting people or agencies at risk. We want people to know how the service will work, and we want to know what they think of it.”

Submissions are open until 4pm, Friday 7 December. They can be made online or forms downloaded from www.dia.govt.nz/idconsult

Further information about the consultation process is available on Freephone 0800 idconsult (0800 432 667).



For media enquiries, contact Tony Wallace, Senior Communications Advisor, 04 382 3437, 027 440 2667, or tony.wallace@dia.govt.nz

See also: Frequently Asked Questions