The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA), an Australian government division that facilitates government information and services online, will explore new ways in which can deliver government services, given the AU$700,000 ($525,710) allocated in the 2018-19 budget.
To start with, DTA will spearhead its study with an aim to bring into play blockchain technology for distribution welfare payments. The government agency will also look into and Machine Learning to automize range of government services.
DTA to Explore Existing Use Cases of Blockchain Tech
The quest to move forward will see the DTA probe existing (DLT) use cases in government and the private sector, highlighting the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) in particular, who has been piloting DLT for over two years to incorporate it to the securities exchange.
In 2017, the ASX publicized to switchover the existing Clearing House Electronic Subregister System (CHESS) with blockchain technology developed by U.S.-based blockchain firm Digital Asset.
Randall Brugeaud, Deputy Statistician at Australian Bureau of Statistics and currently acting CEO at DTA, :
“Our plan is to look for use cases across the Commonwealth with an initial focus on the welfare payment delivery system, then working with our digital service standard, we’ll conduct user research with a view to having a prototype by the end of next financial year.”
At the CeBIT conference on May 16, Brugeaud pointed that after researching existing DLT use cases of government and private businesses, the DTA will develop a prototype with an aim to disrupt the welfare payment delivery system using . The prototype is envisioned to available by mid-2019.
“We’ll also build on work done across government already, such as the CSIRO’s work on distributed ledgers,” said Brugeaud.
Digitalization Government Services With DLT
In a bid to efficiently and digitally deliver government services, the DTA will research Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, to further deploy it to a range of government services, while cutting back on the bureaucratic paper-intensive process.
In reference to experimenting with Artificial Intelligence, Brugeaud said, “We’re looking at how these technologies might offer automated service channels that are closer to the human experience; this might include intelligent chatbots or voice-enabled channels which are proving to be effective in other sectors.”
In a bid to digitize and automize government services, the Australian government is investing heavily in , giving itself a push to stay ahead of the curve. The intention is visible in the 2018-19 financial year budget where the government has pledged $300 million for four years to disrupt the welfare payments system.
Govpass Pilot Anticipated for October 2018
October 2018 is the anticipated date for a pilot of DTA’s , which will work on digital identity to make dealings with the government more user-friendly. For government services, there are lots of different login details and avenues, but these will be condensed into a single identity which can be used across government services.
Brugeaud stated on Govpass:
“With a digital identity, the current month-long process will be shrunk to minutes, without leaving a computer. The pilot will be available in October 2018. After this, we will be gradually bringing other services online, including grants management, business registration, student services, and some Centrelink services.”
A new platform will protect user identities, made up of two main components; the exchange and identity provider. The Department of Human Services will facilitate the exchange between providers and services. Brugeaud further clarified, “The exchange will be critical in protecting the privacy… services providers will not see any of the user’s identity information and [vice versa].”
The United Kingdom’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), responsible for distributing welfare payments, also piloted blockchain technology to explore modernization of its welfare payments system in 2016, as by BTCManager.
Can blockchain technology revolutionize other government services? Share your views in the comments section.
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Concerns over data privacy have risen over the past few years, with Facebook’s recent data breach scandal only confirming the grave expanse of the problem. As proved, social networks have become an indispensable part of the average person’s routine, regardless of the vast amounts of data the companies collect.
An upcoming company is aiming to solve this issue using the , and although their efforts stem from making profits, a decentralized social media website is a certain need of the hour.
, a social-sharing platform that collates , ideas, opinions, and information, aims to provide people a free-for-use, worldwide platform without the concerns of harvesting their private data.
Backed by identity-verification blockchain startup , the company claims the first wave of users have already adopted the platform.
In particular, Hilo is aimed at cryptocurrency investors and traders, both amateur and experienced, to provide information and advice on , fundamental and technical analysis, and general token information.
Civic Introduces ‘ID Codes’
The company intends to utilize Civic’s “,” a tool built for organizations and individuals to verify their identities on social media, forums, company sites, and any other platform that asks for one’s personal details.
As per Civic’s whitepaper, the ID Codes independently allow users to authenticate their identity via facial recognition software, which is then “sealed” by Civic and embedded on their blockchain. In return, users receive a unique link, which they can use to access and edit their details at any time.
Speaking about the ID Codes is Vinny Lingham, CEO of Civic, who considers total anonymity as a threat in today’s world. Lingham :
“It’s not always needed and not always necessary. And in fact, it’s actually dangerous for people because they lose money through giveaway scams, for example.”
Blockchain-Based Verification a Much Needed Feature
By large, the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry prides itself on complete anonymity, with privacy at the core of its philosophy.
However, not all individuals display ethical behavior and use the very central feature of blockchain to scam innocent investors, with fraudulent or tokens, entirely immune to the law under the veil of privacy.
Thus, ethical companies set out to create blockchain-based verification systems, that can prove one’s identity on other websites, and indeed confirm a person’s affiliation to a particular project. Additionally, the companies provide a system that can safely store one’s data and not sell it to other business sectors, such as advertising.
It was this use-case that prompted Hilo to choose a verification system for its platform, in order to prove investors about an authentic team, product, and ethos.
Explaining further is Hilo CEO Monica Puchner:
“As we release to a global community, that’s kind of the first level point of contact that people will have with our website. So, being able to authenticate our investors and advisors is very paramount and important for us.”
Puchner adds that users are free to use the platform without verifying their identity, but will not be able to access interactive site functions, such as commenting on posts or receiving any rewards.
She :
“We think that having that level of transparency and authenticating users at login is very important to kind of get away from the trolling experience and the bad behavior that is surrounding other sites.”
At present, Civic’s ID Code technology remains in the beta phase and is scheduled for launch in Q4 2018.
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Around the world, the idea of a state-backed cryptocurrency is gaining momentum amongst authorities, who are seemingly open to embracing cryptocurrencies, given strict rules and regulations.
“E-Franc”
to Reuters, the has solicited a report that states the perils and scope of developing a native cryptocurrency. They have reportedly decided to term it as “e-franc,” an amalgamation of electronic francs – Switzerland’s currency.
In the government’s words, the only difference between the e-franc and would be that of being backed by the state as a legal tender opposed to being “privately-backed.” Regardless, the underlying technology shall remain that of a publically-viewable .
It now remains for the Swiss parliament’s lower house to take a call on whether to support the Federal Council’s request for a report into the topic.
The development comes after a warning issued by Switzerland’s Bank of International Settlement () in March 2018 which appealed central banks to strongly consider prospective risks involved with introducing their own cryptocurrency.
Hurdles Ahead
In case the lower Parliament approves the report, the Swiss Finance Ministry shall produce a study. However, they have not given an exact time on when the publishing would commence, if the green signal is given.
The study was proposed by Vice President of the Social Democratic Party, Cedric Wermuth, who also oversees law-making in the country. Although a lot of obstacles are in its way, the Swiss government has supported this proposal, as stated in its response on May 17, 2018.
Furthermore, the report states that a substantial amount of legal as well as financial drawbacks existed with the introduction of e-franc, which the Federal Council is well acquainted with.
Wermuth notes:
“It asks that the proposal be adopted to examine the risks and opportunities of an e-franc and to clarify the legal, economic and financial aspects of the e-franc.”
Thus far, the Swiss National Bank () has expressed caution on the matter. It is of the opinion that a privately-owned cryptocurrency was superior and less problematic than a state-backed digital currency.
Governments Continue to Grapple With Digital Assets
Owing to its unpredictable nature, have caused a lot of fuss among lawmakers and international governing bodies, alongside inviting major scrutiny.
The sudden skyrocketing price of digital currencies has also been a contributing factor, coupled with most mainstream news outlets focussing only on this aspect, instead of the underlying technology’s benefits.
However, 2018 has seen swift developments in the space, with companies from a variety of sectors implementing the technology across their functions.
A lot of nations are now rapidly following suit – conducting tests and evaluating a possible state-backed cryptocurrency.
Sweden’s has stated that their digital currency, the “e-crown” might help towards preventing problems owing to the decline in use of cash and to facilitate sturdy payment systems.
Developed economies have mostly stayed out of the whole cryptocurrency arena but developing countries like Venezuela have issued their own state-backed coins.
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