‘Trust, but verify’ was a favourite saying of Ronald Reagan, and interestingly (given his era) was adapted from a Russian proverb.
Trust is one of the key issues facing digital identity as we move into the 2020s. We are currently operating in an environment of low trust, if not mistrust. We are increasingly seeing communities push back on invasive and murky methods of advertising and monetisation of personal information. Tech companies are starting to realise that offering customers choice when it comes to privacy is no longer an optional extra, yet the lifeblood of those tech behemoths continues to be information and data that is generated by its customers. This leads to some very interesting challenges when it comes to transparency of both information and money flows. In this context, transparency is one of the key contributors to our ability to verify, and as such is a precursor to meaningful trust.
In Aotearoa there is a growing awareness of the enabling potential of a well-designed Digital Identity framework, and in 2020 that awareness will start to translate into action. This year will see the work of the government’s digital identity transition programme inform tactical and strategic activity related to interaction with government agencies, the future of RealMe and the development of a trust framework that recognises and supports a collaborative digital identity ecosystem for New Zealand.
In the first year of Digital Identity NZ ‘identity as taonga’ has been our touchpoint – recognising that personal information is to be treasured and treated with dignity and respect, which will lead to greater levels of trust. We believe that organisations which genuinely promote and respect individual and community information will be the success stories of the 2020s.
While we still have a way to go to enable a fully functional digital identity ecosystem, 2020 will welcome the emergence of collaborative solutions that will enable people to take control of their identity information and reduce the painful friction associated with many of our current online interactions.
We are excited to be working with our newly formed Executive Council, and are delighted to have many of them part of our first Connect events of the year in Wellington and Auckland. These are the perfect opportunity for you to meet the team and help them to shape our work programme for the year. Also joining us for those events is Robin Tombs from Yoti, who will share some of his international experiences as well as the purpose behind the technology. Please note that if you are attending the Wellington event, the time of the event is 1:30pm to 3pm. An earlier email incorrectly advertised it as beginning at 1pm.
Remember to register for our first webinar of the year, happening tomorrow, 23 January. Even if you can’t attend the live session, make sure you sign up so you can access the recording at a later date.
Ngā Mihi,
Andrew Weaver
Executive Director
News and Reports
Digital Identity systems can be costly to establish and operate. There will be lessons we can learn from the Australian experience.
Facial recognition faces some ethical challenges around the globe, especially in how surveillance technology is used. The New Zealand experience is no different, and we are now seeing the launch of even more pervasive technology on an international scale.
Read recent announcements on the digital identity approaches being adopted in the Ukraine and Malaysia.
Salesforce’s Marc Beinoff talks about our ‘crisis of trust’, his reasons for purchasing Time magazine, and why he compares Facebook with cigarettes.
Mastercard is trialling it’s latest digital identity technology in Australia. We’ll have the chance to hear from the Mastercard team in one of our upcoming webinar sessions.
Some further murkiness from the world of technology-enabled advertising.
Upcoming Events
Register now for our International Perspectives webinar on 23 January. Our monthly webinars happen at 1pm on the third Thursday of the month – schedule them in your calendar now.
Several Digital Identity NZ members are speaking at Forefront Event’s Morning Briefing on 26 February. Forefront have kindly offered a number of complimentary places for our startup and not-for-profit members. Please let us know if you are interested in going along.
Secure yourself an early bird ticket price for Payments NZ 2020 conference The Point, 23-24 June in Auckland.
If you are planning international travel in 2020, consider attending
Know Identity (5-8 April, Las Vegas), Identiverse (8-11 June, Denver) or Money 2020 (16-18 June, Amsterdam).
Tech Alliance Events and Information
Techweek2020, New Zealand’s biggest festival of tech, will take place from 18 to 24 May. Mark the dates in your diary so that you can take part in the hundreds of events across the country. Event submissions will be open soon.
Check out the Tech Alliance Connect events which have been scheduled for the first quarter of the year. More are being added all the time.
Attend Future Government 2020 on 25 March in Wellington for a discussion on serving New Zealand through a digital public service.
Entries are now open for the NZ Hi-Tech Awards, with the winners being announced at the Gala Dinner on 22 May in Wellington
Early bird pricing for MedCan Summit 2020 closes on 31 January, so reserve your spot now.
If you’re in Canterbury, join Canterbury Tech for their next monthly event on 11 February.
Contribute, Connect and Join
We’re keen to hear what our members have been up to. Please contact us to share your news.
If you would like to know more about joining Digital Identity NZ, the benefits and membership categories check out our joining page.
