Fake news: myID is mandatory, everybody needs a Digital ID
Fact: myID is voluntary under the Digital ID Act 2024External Link.
A range of participating government online services ask you to use myID as a more secure way to sign in or for proof of identity. However, you can choose other options to access these services or complete tasks.
Find out where you can use myID at Online services you can use.
Fake news: myID shares your identity data and personal details
Fact: Your personal information is in your control. You’ll need to provide your express consent to share some of your personal information when:
- you verify your identity documents – so we can verify it against existing government records
- you use your myID to access an online service – your personal information (e.g. your name, date of birth and email) that will be shared is displayed prior to accessing an online service.
myID adheres to the strict legal, governance, privacy and security frameworks of the Australian Government Digital ID System, which ensures your data remains protected. Find out more at myID Privacy policy.
Fake news: Companies and government use myID to capture your photo and track you
Fact: myID verifies your identity, allowing you to prove who you are and securely access government online services.
When setting up your Strong myID, you need to verify your photo. Verifying your photo is a one-off check that compares your face in real-time with the photograph on your identity document to confirm your identity. After this one-off check, your photo is deleted and not used for any other purpose.
Fake news: Using myID puts you at risk of identity crime and makes it easier for criminals to access your ID documents
Fact: myID is designed to combat identity crime!
myID is designed to keep your personal information safe and secure.
Using your myID to verify your identity reduces the number of organisations and government agencies you need to share your ID documents with.
When you verify your identity, your personal information is checked against existing government records to confirm your identity. Your ID documents are not stored or accessible within your myID app.
Using a Digital ID means fewer organisations will need to keep your personal information. This will lower the chances of your data being stolen.
Fake news: myID and myGov are the same thing
Fact: They are different.
myID is the Australian Government’s Digital ID app. You can use your myID to prove who you are and securely sign in to government online services, including myGov.
Your myGov account lets you link to and access government services like Centrelink and Medicare.
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