ShareRing joins Australian government trial for age verification

Melbourne-based ShareRing has announced its participation in the Australian Government's age assurance and verification technology trial, which aims to reinforce social media age restrictions for children under 16.

ShareRing will integrate its self-sovereign, privacy-first technology into the programme, marking it the first digital identity provider to begin testing. The initiative is valued at AUD $6.5 million. Rigorous testing of ShareRing's technology will commence in a pilot programme with school students in Darwin, Northern Territory.

Tim Bos, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of ShareRing, stated, "By providing reusable digital IDs, ShareRing eliminates the need for repetitive verification while maintaining instant trustless verification and a privacy-first approach. We are proud to lead this crucial initiative to protect young Australians online via robust age verification, and shape a safer digital future."

Bos added, "Our participation confirms that our self-sovereign identity technology meets and exceeds the stringent security requirements for age verification. With scalability, trustless verification, and privacy at its core, ShareRing's solution ensures personal data remains secure and fully under individual control. This trial marks a significant step toward establishing a reliable, reusable digital ID framework to support the next generation of secure digital interactions across Australia and beyond."

ShareRing recently announced a strategic partnership with Select ID, a UK-based inclusive Reusable Digital ID Network. This venture involves collaboration with various industry partners and aims to transform remote customer onboarding for the UK's financial services and compliance-focused sectors.

Bos said, "This landmark partnership unites ShareRing with other leading digital identity providers to address the growing demand for secure, seamless, and privacy-focused digital identities. Select ID enables UK financial institutions to access a wide range of proven."

"Reusable Digital ID services through a single contract and technical connection, dramatically simplifies the customer onboarding process while meeting stringent UK regulatory requirements. ShareRing's advanced blockchain-powered verification platform distinguishes itself by enabling true self-sovereign identity management."

"Unlike traditional centralised systems, its decentralised model ensures that users retain complete control over their digital identities, supporting instantaneous, trustless verification of passports, national IDs, and driver's licenses from around the world. This approach facilitates the use of Reusable Digital IDs, allowing individuals to verify their identities repeatedly without re-submitting personal data, thereby enhancing security and reducing friction."

"Joining Select ID is a transformative moment for ShareRing. Our advanced decentralised verification technology, combined with Select ID's unified approach, sets a new benchmark in secure digital identity solutions. We are proud to contribute to a network that will streamline onboarding for millions of UK consumers and provide unparalleled control over personal data," said Bos.

These collaborative efforts are set to support cross-sector interoperability under the UK Government's Digital Identity and Attribute Trust Framework. Select ID states that this initiative will aid financial institutions in enhancing efficiency, reducing risk, and offering consumers greater choice and control over their digital identities.

Bos noted, "ShareRing was one of the first companies accredited under the UK's Digital Identities and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF), and joining Select ID confirms the reliability of our technology, and underscores our ability to deliver secure, reusable digital identity solutions. The UK is a global leader in digital ID regulation, and ShareRing is pleased to play a key role in its implementation within the financial services sector by simplifying customer journeys while enhancing security and reducing fraud."

In the UK, ShareRing's blockchain-powered Layer 1 privacy network integrates seamlessly with the Select ID platform, facilitating instant verification through one-time identity proofing and a single secure connection for financial institutions.

Bos explained, "ShareRing's decentralised model eliminates single points of failure, offering a scalable, trustless solution that can seamlessly process millions of transactions while maintaining robust security and privacy. This is further strengthened with privacy-by-design, selective disclosure, and blockchain-backed security, ensuring compliance, data protection, and user control. The ShareRing platform is uniquely designed for mass adoption, empowering millions of consumers with secure, decentralised digital identities."

"Identity verification is becoming an increasing challenge for many Australian organisations. ShareRing's proven digital identity technology can be easily adapted and rolled out to quickly prove customers' identities across many industries, such as financial services, licensed venues, and the higher education sector. Digital identities are pivotal to removing friction from our everyday lives, and dramatically improving operational efficiency across many businesses."