Australian Payments Plus' (AP+) ConnectID® has formed a strategic alliance with Hold Access to expedite the development of WUNA, a digital wallet initiative seeking to empower First Nations communities and digitally marginalised individuals.
WUNA, which means the ability to make independent and informed choices, aims to enhance identity verification processes and overcoming digital accessibility hurdles to revolutionise indigenous identity management.
It provides First Nations people with better control over their personal data, streamlining the storage and access to essential documents online.
This capability is crucial for accessing key services such as healthcare, government, employment, education and banking. Additionally, it offers businesses more efficient means of complying with regulatory requirements.
Critical services
ConnectID managing director Andrew Black said: “Access to digital services is necessary in a nation like Australia considering our significant remote and regional population.
"For those living in these communities or those without the means to access digital documentation, identity verification can be a major barrier to these important and often critical services.
“We’re also quickly realising the potential Digital ID technology can have on other digitally excluded communities, such as under-served regional populations, refugees and those experiencing homelessness, in safely and securely verifying their identity.”
Simplifies identity verification
ConnectID, recently launched with support from major industry players like CBA and NAB, simplifies identity verification, leveraging trusted organisations to confirm user identities.
Jason-Urranndulla Davis, a Kalkadoon and Waanyi man from Northwest Queensland and the Gulf Country, and founder of Hold Access, highlighted the digital divide's impact on First Nations communities, particularly those lacking electronic documentation or email access.
He stressed the importance of culturally inclusive digital (Diji) agency in preserving and carrying forward cultural identity.
The collaboration between ConnectID and Hold Access aims to rapidly deploy WUNA, addressing the issue of digital exclusion and bridging the digital divide for First Nations people.