These days almost anything can be bought online. However, for certain transactions, such as those involving the purchase of age restricted products, the online process can be complicated and involve revealing more information about yourself than is necessary.
As part of the NSW Government’s Digital ID program, which will offer you an easier way to prove your identity in a safe and secure way when accessing services or completing transactions online or in-person, a Beta pilot has been completed around Proof of Age.
The NSW Digital ID Proof of Age (Beta) pilot enabled people to prove they were older than 18 in a commercial transaction for ordering alcohol, without showing additional personal information, such as date of birth or driver’s licence details.
The Proof of Age pilot is an important step forward in the NSW Digital ID program. Legislation has recently changed around proving online purchasers of alcohol are over 18. When ordering alcohol online for same-day delivery, customers in NSW now need to prove their identity using verifiable documents under the Liquor Act 2007 (as of June 2022).
This pilot was chosen as it enabled the NSW government to support industry compliance to legislative requirements, whilst supporting the protection of minors from underage purchases online.
What’s being done about it?
Earlier this year, the NSW Government trialled a beta version of the Proof of Age pilot with a small customer group. This allowed us to test how it works, take participant feedback on board, and make any enhancements.
The NSW Digital ID Proof of Age pilot allowed participants to securely prove their age to a third party as part of a commercial transaction, without sharing key identity documents such as their driver’s licence or photo card. Proof of age was transmitted only in the form of an ‘over 18’ flag and did not share the participant’s identity documents which show their date of birth or age.
This pilot involved a proof of age verification to purchase with an online liquor merchant using the Mastercard ID exchange, which has been accredited through the Commonwealth Government’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework.
The feedback from the pilot was overwhelmingly positive, with 100% of respondents to the post-pilot survey being satisfied with how fast, simple and convenient the process was.
The Proof of Age pilot showed digital documentation is not only more convenient but helps to protect personal information from potential misuse – putting you in control of your identity.
NSW Digital ID will only be made available to the public upon the successful completion of intensive assurance processes for the NSW Digital ID Beta phase.
This is one of many ways you will be able to use your NSW Digital ID when it’s available.
Get more information on Digital ID.