Gov to set up identity credential misuse app

A register used to stop breached government identity credentials such as Medicare cards and passports from being misused is set to be augmented with a mobile app that alerts Australians of misuse in real-time.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus yesterday said another $11 million would be put into the credential protection register in the upcoming federal budget.

The register was set up after the Optus data breach to prevent the verification of breached identity documents and data.

“The register enables people who have had their personal details stolen to quickly lock down their information to prevent their data being used for identity crime and theft,” Dreyfus said.

“This in turn disrupts black market sales of stolen personal documents and illegal activities that rely on those stolen credentials including scams, money laundering and fraud.”

The government put another $3.3 million into the register in December last year and will now add $11 million.

Rather than being used to enhance the register itself, the new funding seeks to “build on [its] success” with an accompanying mobile app and real-time misuse alerts.

“The mobile application will allow an individual to be notified, in real time, if someone is using their identity without their consent,” Dreyfus said.

“Individuals will then be able to act immediately to control their identity credentials by enabling or disabling their use for verification.

“These changes will give Australians full control of when and how their identity credentials are being used and allow them to disrupt illegal use of their identity.”

The announcement comes less than a week after it emerged that the number of people making use of an identity theft support service due to compromised Commonwealth credentials has grown at an average of 26 percent a year since FY20-21.