Digital ID solution ConnectID launches with support of Australian banks

Australian Payments Plus (AP+) has launched digital identity solution ConnectID, which is now available to customers of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) and National Australia Bank (NAB).

Australian banks Westpac and ANZ are also strategic partners of the initiative.

AP+ has developed ConnectID to enable Australians to securely verify their identity with third parties, rather than having to provide proof of ID documentation.

ConnectID managing director, Andrew Black said: “This new service will help customers reduce oversharing their data, giving them greater control over what data is being shared and used, and choice over which organisations they trust to store their personal information.

“And from a business perspective, the ability to collect only what is required means they’re able to comply with legislation and reduce their risk profile.”

Black added that ConnectID is “not creating new honeypots of data” and that it never sees or stores customer data.

AP+ called ConnectID a “bridge between an organisation that wants to verify someone’s identity and the organisation providing that verification” and confirmed that this only happens when the customer authorises it.

Brad Carr, NAB executive, digital governance, said: “We’re proud to support the launch of ConnectID today, which will make life so much easier for Australians when they are going through a process of validating their identity online, and doing so in a safe way that protects their data and privacy.

“This represents a significant and exciting milestone in the journey towards enabling both NAB customers and the wider community to go about their digital lives more securely, whilst supporting growth and confidence in the Australian digital economy.”

Businesses across a number of industry sectors will also offer ConnectID to their customers, including Referoo, Credenxia, ServiceSeeking, OnePassport, RentBetter and Shaype.

In September 2021, ConnectID became the first non-government operator of a digital identity exchange to be accredited under the Australian Government’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework.

The Australian Federal Government released a National Strategy for Identity Resilience in June this year, in which it set out plans for strengthening the country’s state and territory government digital ID systems.

Lynn Kraus, chief executive officer of AP+, wants to see ConnectID play a role in an Australian digital identity framework “that brings together both the government and non-government sectors in a world-leading solution to help protect people’s data”.

AP+ brings together Australia’s three domestic payment providers, BPAY Group, eftpos and the New Payments Platform and its members comprise banks, retail merchants, payment service providers and payment processors.