Australia: NSW State Government Launches a Blockchain-Based System for Digital Driver Licences

The Australian New South Wales Government will roll out the second trial for their blockchain-based digital driver license system in Sydney’s Eastern Beaches in November 2018. According to a ZDNet report released on September 10, 2018, over 140,000 residents in the area will be able to exchange their plastic driver’s license for a blockchain-based digital smartphone-rendered copy from the Service NSW mobile application.

Digital Driver Licenses Expands to the Eastern Beaches

The blockchain-based digital driver license system was originally conducted as a pilot in Dubbo in late 2017. Participants in the program were able to use their digital driver license as an ID and proof of age to enter pubs and clubs which could be used for police checks. Approximately 1,400 people were in involved in the Dubbo Trial.

Secure Logic, an Australian data security company revealed on today on September 10, 2018, that it has formally launched its ‘TrustGrid’ platform. The platform was tested in the pilot staged in Dubbo and will also be used in the pilot for Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

According to ComputerWorld, the TrustGrid platform is an “advanced blockchain solution that delivers a secure decentralized and immutable ledger of transactions.” While the platform is being tested to replace driver licenses, it’s definitely not limited to that service.

The Sydney Eastern Suburb trial will begin in November. Santosh Devaraj, the CEO of Secure Logic, stated:

“[A blockchain-based license] will help put a stop to sophisticated fraudsters who can conjure up fake identities with relative ease. Too often license details are only checked superficially and this can now be replaced with cryptographic mechanisms.”

Digitization of Driver’s Licenses is Just The Beginning

Devaraj however, mentioned that driver’s licenses were just the beginning when it comes to the digital transformation of Government services. He noted that emerging technology like blockchain will change the way people interact with the Government over the next ten years.

Filing government paperwork and standing in line will come to an end as physical identification cards to establish one’s identity and proof of age have many mistakes, are expensive, are time-consumptive, and can be extremely impractical.

While the Government is exploring blockchain technology for driver licenses, the TrustGrid platform can be applied across a number of filing systems including motor registration, birth and death certificates, property titles, HSC, TAFE, medical records, and other academic results.