The Government is seeking views from the community on its proposed policy settings for the use of verifiable credentials – or VCs – by the Commonwealth.
VCs are a relatively new technology that are growing in use in both government and the private sector, with some examples already seen in Australia including digital driver licences and other VCs issued by some states.
VCs have the potential to promote innovation, increase the efficiency with which credentials are used in Australia, and help to grow productivity across the economy by:
- reducing regulatory and compliance burden
- reducing fraud and the impact of data breaches,
- increasing the speed of access to finance, and
- streamlining employee onboarding.
For VCs to be used safely and effectively in Australia the right balance of policy and regulatory settings needs to be achieved, as well as determining what, if any, legislative change is required.
The Government is running public consultation on a proposed Commonwealth VC policy to seek feedback from individuals, businesses and other organisations who are already using VCs, or who are looking to use VCs in the future.
Feedback and submissions from the consultation will help inform further VC policy development and to enhance public trust and confidence in VCs.
This consultation is open now until 11:59pm AEST Friday 3 July 2026.
To learn more and provide your feedback go to the Have Your Say consultation page on the Digital ID System website.
