The Digital ID Bill 2023 and the Digital ID (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) Bill 2023 public submissions are due today.
I am writing a comprehensive submission which documents that Digital ID is the method whereby every aspect of our lives will be surveilled, monitored, stored, and linked to a Smart Contract which will determine if we can access goods, services, finance, work etc.
I was going to share this submission publicly, however I have just found out that we are not allowed to publish our submissions until the Economics Committee (tasked with reviewing the Digital ID submissions) determines if they will or wont accept the submission.
“After a submission is received by a committee, you cannot publish or disclose it to any other person unless or until the committee has authorised its publication. You cannot share your document until you hear from the committee that it can be published. If your submission has any information removed or redacted by the committee before it is published, you should only share the published version. If the committee has agreed to accept your submission as confidential, you cannot share it with anyone.”
https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Making_a_submission?
If I publish my submission prior to this, my submission will be null and void. I rang the Economics Committee phone number and was told that I will be notified if the Committee does or does not accept my submission. And they have no time frame for when I will hear about this. It’s obviously an attempt to stop people from being able to get mass attention on to Bill submissions whilst it’s still relevant.
So for anyone concerned here are some main points to help with a submission. Watch my video where I document the larger landscape of the Digital ID system.
Then read the clauses that Human Rights Lawyer Peter Fam from Maat’s Method has identified opening the door to the Digital ID being mandatory (I have pulled out some excerpts from his article- full article link below):
Digital ID will be rolled out through corporations-
Accredited entities can register as one of the following:
a. ‘Identity service providers’, which allow individuals to set up and manage their digital identities (such as ‘myGovID’);
b. ‘Attribute service providers’, which verify specific attributes or characteristics of an individual (such as age or qualification); and
c. ‘Identity exchange providers’, which transfer information between identity service providers and attribute service providers.
The accreditation scheme is not limited to government entities. It is instead intended to operate economy wide, with private sector agencies and companies invited to participate.
Is the Digital ID really voluntary?
3 Objects
(1) The objects of this Act are as follows:
(a) to provide individuals with secure, convenient, voluntary and inclusive ways to verify their identity in online transactions with government and businesses;
In addition;
a. The accreditation scheme (for businesses and entities that want to apply to accept people’s digital IDs is also voluntary (see Section 14); and
b. ‘Identity Service Providers’ (such as MyGovID) must deactivate an individual’s digital ID on request (see Section 29).
But, when it comes to voluntariness, the primary question is whether, despite technically being voluntary, an individual might be forced to engage in using a digital ID in order to access particular services.
Section 74 Creating and using a digital ID is voluntary
(1) A participating relying party must not, as a condition of providing a service or access to a service, require an individual to create or use a digital ID.
Exceptions
(3) Subsection (1) does not apply if:
(a) the participating relying party is providing a service, or access to a service, to an individual who is acting on behalf of another entity in a professional or business capacity; or
(b) the participating relying party holds an exemption under subsection (4).
[Well, we better look carefully at these exemptions…]
Exemptions
(4) Subject to subsection (6), the Digital ID Regulator may, on application by a participating relying party, grant an exemption under this subsection to the participating relying party if the Digital ID Regulator is satisfied that it is appropriate to do so.
Pursuant to this Section, the Regulator can exempt a party from the “voluntary” aspect of Digital ID if it “is satisfied that it is appropriate to do so”. This kind of open discretion, apart from being totally unjustified, is never a good idea. It is too apt for abuse by either a rogue Government or a rogue Government Minister. And, in this case, it means that the Australian Government Digital Identity Scheme is not actually voluntary. At the very least, the regulator (currently the ACCC) can make it compulsory for the access of particular services at any time they choose, for any reason.
The only entities that the Regulator can not grant such an exemption to are Commonwealth entities and agencies within the meaning of the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
State and Territory Government services? No problem. Private companies? No problem. Banks? No problem. Shopping centres? Fine. If the Regulator chooses, they can grant any of one of these businesses permission to make a digital ID the only way their services can be accessed, which in effect, will make the use of digital ID mandatory.
Digital ID will be increasingly mandatory- or not mandatory but you can't access any goods and services. We are looking at a sleight of hand here.
You can quote the clauses above and then write a few paragraphs as to why the Digital ID is of concern to you. You don't need to be a scholar to put a submission in. If you live in Australia and will affected by Legislation you have the right to have a say. Just put together a few paragraphs together as to why a Digital ID concerns you.
Submissions are lodged here https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/DigitalIDBills2023
Links to my video off Substack:
Rumble:
This is a great piece of work. Listening again to Kate's analysis of SDG 16 should remind you of the size of the fight we are in.
Thankyou Kate- fantastic review & an awesome share 🙏🥰