New Zealand Government Implements Secure Digital Wallet for Citizen Credentials
The New Zealand government has launched a digital wallet within its Govt.nz app, designed to securely store and manage citizens' digital credentials such as licenses, IDs, and certificates. This digital wallet is accredited by the New Zealand government’s Trust Framework Authority under the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework Act. A key feature of this system is that credentials are stored directly on the user's device, not in a centralized cloud or government database. This decentralized storage approach aims to prevent large-scale data breaches. The system also incorporates 'selective disclosure,' allowing users to share only the specific information requested for verification (e.g., proving age without revealing a full date of birth or address). The verification process occurs digitally between the user's wallet and the checking entity, without contacting the original issuer, ensuring privacy regarding when and where credentials are used. Users maintain an encrypted audit log of their credential u...
