Australia Post has added support for iPhone NFC passport reading to its Digital iD service, enabling Australian residents to use their smartphone to register with the government-approved platform and then use their new digital identity for a wide range of applications — from opening a bank account to providing proof of age in a bar.

The move follows the launch of iOS 13, which makes it possible for iPhone users to use their smartphone to read and write to a range of contactless chips, cards and tags for the first time. Android users have been able to use the service since last year.

A video shows how the registration process works for iPhone users.

Australia Post is working closely with the government’s Digital Transformation Agency on the Digital iD project and recently became one of two accredited Identity Service Providers and Credential Service Providers under the government’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF).

TDIF consists of a set of 19 policies that is designed to form the backbone of a new national digital identity ecosystem comprising “agencies, private sector businesses and systems working together to deliver a secure way to prove someone’s identity online to access services”.

“Digital identity is designed so that individuals control their personal information,” the Digital Transformation Agency says.

“A digital identity protects a person’s privacy by only sharing as much as necessary during transactions.”

Students are expected to be early adopters of the service, Australia Post’s head of Digital iD Margo Stephen told IT News.

“Both international and local students in Australia see the value we’ve provided with Digital iD,” she explained.

“It allows them to verify their identity once, and then use their phone to re-use that identity online and in person.

“Students love Digital iD as it means they won’t risk losing valuable ID documents like their passport on a night out, which can be expensive to replace and even put them at risk of identity theft.”

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