Govt launches identity protection review

The federal government has announced a review into the protection and management of identity information in Australia.

Roger Wilkins, Former Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department, has been appointed to lead the review. He will be supported by Professor David Lacey, the founder and Managing Director of non-profit identity crime support service IDCARE.

The review aims to determine ways to enhance arrangements supporting the protection and management of identity information, in order to better protect Australians from identity theft and minimise the impact on victims.

The review will also seek to enable the provision of better-targeted government services to individual and businesses, while respecting individuals’ privacy.

Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton said identity crime is perennially one of the most common crimes in Australia.

“Each year many Australians fall victim to identity crime, with an estimated cost of over $2 billion annually. The effective management and sharing of identity information is also critical to maintaining public trust in the delivery of government services. Citizens want to know that their privacy is maintained and the services being provided are tailored to their needs and easy to use,” he said.

“This review will assess current identity management arrangements and include consultations with the states and territories, the private sector and interested civil society organisations.”

The review will be open to public submissions until 26 October, and is expected to report by the end of the year.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Vlad Kochelaevskiy

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