More about online identification

The Dom Post reports:

Internal Affairs has given businesses until Wednesday week to come up with proposals on how they could use and help support its $122 million online identity verification and log-on service. …

Several banks have expressed interest in using igovt to authenticate the identity of new customers, so that they can open bank accounts online.

Internal Affairs suggested that the system could also be used by online auction sites to verify traders’ identities.

Trade Me head of trust and safety Chris Budge says that could appeal, but it has questions over the use of a single ID and the risk of fraud.

A secure identity verification service could really open up both the public and private sectors online. I love the idea of being able to go to a bank online and say “I am David Farrar born on this date, and living at this address and here is the Government’s verification that I am whom I claim”. This then allows the bank to take you as a customer without you having to go to a branch.

With secure online verification, you should over time be able to access your credit history, your police file, your tax details online. You might even be able to use it for blog commenting, trade me auctions etc.

Some may say, how is this different from current systems such as Open ID. It will come down to the verification. For example it is possible one might actually have to turn up to an office with your passport to get verified as being that person, and given a login and password/s to verify who you are. And they could, once they have confirmed who you are, check your latest address with NZ Post for example.

I’ve not closely followed the exact details of the scheme being implemented, but the concept is something I am very supportive of.