Kia ora readers,
Digital Identity NZ came into being in November 2018 with an initial group of around 20 member organisations. It’s now May 2019 and we’re delighted to have more than tripled that number, with over 60 organisations part of Digital Identity NZ, and more joining every week. In June we will be inviting all of our member organisations to a hands-on workshop to supercharge our collaborative efforts. This will be our first opportunity to bring the whole Digital Identity NZ community together in one place. Apart from the obvious face-to-face networking benefits, we will be using the workshop to highlight the opportunities and problems we are collectively working on, and to take a deep dive into the principles and standards that the Design working group have been immersed in. We will be sending a survey to members in the next week to seek your feedback about key inputs for the session. We will confirm the date and location of the workshop shortly after.
In April we commissioned Yabble to conduct research and provide insight into how the New Zealand public sees and understands digital identity today – are they aware, do they care and what do they care most about? The research phase of that project is now complete, and the Yabble team are working with our Drive working group to derive the key themes and insights. We’ll be sharing those insights with all Digital Identity NZ members shortly, and then we will release our key findings to the public. There are some fascinating and important perceptions emerging – notably a lack of clarity on who has access to our identity data. Stay tuned for the insights over the next couple of weeks.
Lastly, May means it’s time for Techweek19! This year is shaping up as the biggest ever, with literally hundreds of events throughout the country. See what’s on and get involved here.
Ngā Mihi,
Andrew Weaver
Executive Director
Early bird registrations now open
Find out what’s on during Techweek19
News and Reports
Watch the very clever Screening Surveillance, a short film series that uses near future fiction storytelling which is based on research to highlight potential social and privacy issues that arise as a result of big data surveillance.
ASB’s digital identity onboarding solution recently won a Canstar Award. Well done to ASB and their technology partners for a welcome innovation!
Canada’s banks have launched SecureKey’s Verified.Me digital identity network, a shared service and app aimed at making it easier to set up and switch between participating banks.
Is Self-Sovereign Identity the key to data portability? Read Sphere Identity’s concise plain English analysis of the issues and potential solutions.
Google is exploring electronic IDs for Android devices, furthering its aim to be used in ‘physical world transactions’ as well as digital.
Read McKinsey’s comprehensive analysis on Digital Identity, highlighting that it is a key enabler for inclusive growth.
Upcoming Events
Early bird registrations are now open for Identity Conference 2019 (26–27 August, Wellington). Check out the programme and take advantage of the early bird registration price.
Join Digital Identity NZ’s Executive Director Andrew Weaver at Seamless Asia 2019. Andrew is speaking about the Yabble research insights, and in particular, digital privacy.
Digital Identity NZ is pleased to join FinTechNZ for our next Tech Alliance event series. Save the date: 11 July in Wellington and 18 July in Auckland.
Register your interest for the 2019 NZ Cyber Security Summit (15 October at Te Papa, in Wellington).
Tech Alliance Events and Information
Next week is Techweek 20–26 May) and there are hundreds of events all around the country. Techweek is not just for professionals, there is also a Techweek19 School Series with a number of online sessions, as well as in-person events, aimed at children of all ages.
If you can’t make it to any of the events you can still be part of the action by tuning into Techweek TV.
Check out the schedule which includes an episode of ‘our culture and its importance in innovation,’ as well as AI Forum’s Ben Reid leading a discussion on protecting privacy and personal data. All episodes will be available online after they have aired.
Tech for Good is the theme of this year’s Techweek, so we’re shining the spotlight on two amazing initiatives that are finalists in the Hi-Tech awards:
Talent Rise is a charitable foundation set up by Talent International to open up tech careers for those who otherwise would not have the opportunity. ‘Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi engari, he toa takitini’ – Success is not the work of one, but the work of many.
Collaborate is an app that connects volunteers with organisations that match their specific skills and interests. A great example of the power of human connection, enabled by technology.
Secure your tickets now for the Hi-Tech Awards Gala Dinner on 24 May in Auckland, during Techweek19.
Sign up to be a mentor for ShadowTech to help inspire the next generation of girls into tech careers. ShadowTech provides girls in years 9–11 with the opportunity to experience what working in the tech sector is like by shadowing a tech professional for a day. ShadowTech is happening in six locations around New Zealand. Register here to be a mentor.
Join EdTechNZ and TechWomen on 13 June in Wellington, 20 June in Auckland and 26 June in Christchurch to discuss how to achieve diversity in the tech sector. Registrations opening soon.
Save the date for the Canterbury Tech Summit on 12 September in Christchurch.
Contribute, Connect and Join
A regular feature of our newsletters will be a spotlight on members. We’re keen to share stories and highlight opportunities for collaboration. Please contact us to submit your story.
If you would like to know more about joining Digital Identity NZ, the benefits and membership categories check out our joining page.
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