A new pilot to test how the myGov app could be used to securely share information from government issued cards is underway in Queensland.

Queenslanders visiting the doctor are helping to test Services Australia’s Trust Exchange (TEx) proof of concept at a General Practice clinic in Brisbane.

The GP clinic and its patients are testing the first prototype of TEx, which will help give them more control over how they share their personal information with services and businesses in the future.

Minister for Government Services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme the Hon. Bill Shorten MP first announced the world-first TEX trust exchange in August, which will give Australians the ability to verify their identity and credentials without ever handing over superfluous personal information and sometimes without exchanging any personal information at all.

“The Government has been working with industry on proofs of concepts to ensure they are well placed to utilise the capabilities of TEx, which has resulted in a commitment by the Commonwealth Bank of Australia to take part in a future test pilot,” Minister Shorten said.

“Protecting people’s data using the world-leading TEx, where no hard copies of information needs to be handed over, is akin to when Australians moved from using cheques to tap and pay - it’s revolutionary.

“This new pilot sees Services Australia simply working with research participants to test a concept to register as a new patient at a medical centre, using the myGov app and government-issued cards.

“Participants use the myGov app to scan a provided QR code. They then confirm in the myGov app what test information from Medicare, DVA veterans’ cards or Centrelink concession cards they consent to share with the medical centre.

“The verified information is then securely transferred to a test device at the practice.

“These types of solutions could reduce the need for people to hand over full documents for a business to store on their systems—helping to reduce the risk of cyber hacks.

“I want Australians to have access to secure, quick and easy ways to store and share their information and save businesses time and money.

“And with 6 million people already using the myGov app, this would help make myGov even more useful to Australians in future.”

Minister Shorten said feedback from the testing will inform solutions and ensure information sharing options are fit for purpose and simple for people to use.

“Services Australia has been asking both participants and the medical practice staff about their experience in using the technology in this way, whether the process was intuitive and how it could potentially be improved,” Minister Shorten said.

The findings from the proof of concept testing will be presented to the Australian Government early next year to determine the next steps.