The Digital Identity Act 2024: Transforming Identity Verification in Australia

The Digital Identity Act 2024 is a groundbreaking step for Australia, establishing a comprehensive digital identity framework that prioritises privacy, security, and efficiency across government and industry.

Now in effect as of 1st December 2024, the key features, which include a voluntary, secure identity system, stringent privacy safeguards, and a standardised approach to online verification, aim to simplify and aggregate identity verification with strong protection for individuals and businesses.

For companies engaged in digital identity, the Act introduces a structured framework for verifying identities with greater accuracy and security while reducing the need for repeated document handling. By setting a high bar for privacy and security, the Digital Identity Act is a major step towards reducing the risks of identity fraud and reducing the number of systems an individual needs to upload identity documents to conduct business or process exchange.

Why Background Checks Need a Stringent Solution

Effective background checks protect and reduce risk for a company and a candidate. Companies must ensure that the people they engage are vetted securely and methodically. However, traditional background check processes can present challenges:

• Manual Document Handling: When companies rely on physical or manually uploaded documents, the process can be prone to error and introduce inefficiencies that can delay onboarding and compromise accuracy.

• Privacy Risks: Storing sensitive identity information such as passports, driver licences or birth certificates can create security and privacy risks.

• Compliance Hurdles: Evolving privacy regulations demand secure, compliant data handling—making it essential for companies to adopt solutions that meet a high standard of data security and verification.

With the Digital Identity Act setting a new standard, companies are now expected to adopt solutions that streamline checks whilst reducing manual errors, and have a proven track record in data security.

How WorkPro’s Digital Identity Solution is Built for the New Standard

WorkPro’s Digital Identity Solution is designed specifically to help companies meet high compliance standards introduced by the Digital Identity Act while making background checks and credential management fast, secure, and simple for hiring teams and candidates.

1. Document Analysis:

WorkPro’s Document Analysis technology automates data extraction from identity documents, reducing the need for manual entry and preparing data quickly for further verification steps.

  2. DVS (Document Verification Service):

Through our accreditation as a Gateway Services Provider to the Attorney-General’s Document Verification Service, WorkPro validates identity documents against the authoritative source in real time, providing instant verification of document authenticity to reduce fraud risks.

  3. Biometric Facial Recognition:

Adding a further layer of security, WorkPro’s Biometric Facial Recognition performs a liveness check to ensure the candidate matches their photo ID, further enhancing trust in the verification process.

  4. ID Vault:

Following ID validation, all documents are automatically secured in the candidate’s personal WorkPro ID Vault. It features end-to-end encryption, detailed audit trails to control who they have shared their documents with, automatic document destruction in line with legislation, and the ability to remove documents and delete their profile, including documents to maintain integrity and adhere to privacy and data protection regulations.

This solution addresses the core needs of modern background checks, aligning with the standards set by the Digital Identity Act to give companies a fast, highly secure, and fully compliant way to screen candidates.

Are You Adhering to the Digital Identity Act?

With the Digital Identity Act setting the benchmark for privacy and security, companies still relying on fragmented, outdated background checking and credential management will need to re-think how they are going to adhere to the advent of more strict data management and security. Although the new scheme is voluntary, delivering a positive candidate experience whilst protecting an individual’s personal data is something that all companies need to consider.

Non-compliant processes or piecemeal digital solutions may increase the risk of identity theft, data breaches, and compliance failures. It’s essential to evaluate whether your current screening or credential management solution aligns with these new standards.

WorkPro: The Future of Background Checks is Here

WorkPro is the complete solution that enables companies to comply with the latest standards, provide a thorough background checking and credential management solution, and a seamless, efficient experience for HR teams. It also empowers candidates to create a portable digital job-ready profile that includes the ability to quickly complete background checks, a digital identity check and/or have their credentials verified once, and re-complete further checks or share validated documents without the need to overshare their identity documents. Adopting WorkPro allows you to rely on: 

• Uncompromised Security: End-to-end encryption, government-level verification, and biometric checks that reduce risks of identity fraud.

• Compliance and Efficiency: Automation and real-time verification for faster onboarding and adherence to the Digital Identity Act.

• Controlled Access and Transparency: A secure ID Vault for document storage, complete with audit trails and access control.

WorkPro enables you to meet and exceed the expectations set by the Digital Identity Act, making your screening, and credential management streamlined, secure, and trustworthy. Transform your hiring process with WorkPro and ensure every step aligns with Australia’s highest standards of digital identity verification.