Will their be a digital id for Australians on Dec 2025
Executive summary
Australia has an operational national Digital ID system in 2025: government figures say about 15 million myIDs exist and 80 million verified transactions occurred between Dec 2024 and Oct 2025 [1] [2]. The Digital ID Act 2024 is in force and the system is being used for many government services, while industry age‑verification codes and the Online Safety Act amendments require online platforms to take steps from December 2025 — but platforms are not required to force citizens into a single government ID for all internet use [3] [4] [5].
1. What “digital ID” exists now and how many Australians use it
The federal government runs an Australian Government Digital ID System and a myID app: official material reports 15 million Digital IDs created and 80 million ID‑verified transactions from Dec 2024 to Oct 2025, with the system connecting people to hundreds of government services [1] [2]. The Department of Finance describes the system as voluntary, designed to reduce repeated document sharing and strengthen security under the Digital ID Act 2024 [3].
2. Is there a single compulsory national digital identity card on 1 December 2025?
Available sources show a national Digital ID regime exists and is active, but they emphasise voluntariness and accreditation of third‑party providers rather than a compulsory physical card. Government pages state Digital ID is a voluntary way to verify identity online and sets accreditation rules and safeguards under the Act [3] [6]. The Social Media Minimum Age fact sheet explicitly states “no Australian will be compelled to use government identification (including Digital ID)” for minimum age requirements [5].
3. Will Australians be forced to use Digital ID for routine internet activities (e.g., every search)?
Claims that every internet search will require Digital ID from late December 2025 are not supported by official sources. Independent reporting and government material point to industry codes that require age checks for logged‑in accounts on certain services (social media and logged‑in search) from December, but these are targeted measures to prevent under‑16s accessing social platforms rather than a blanket requirement that all searches must be accompanied by uploading government ID [4] [5]. A speculative blog post asserting mandatory ID for every search is contradicted by government messaging that the system is voluntary and by fact sheets limiting compulsion [7] [5] [3].
4. What’s actually changing in December 2025: age verification and platform duties
From December 2025, designated age‑restricted social media platforms must take “reasonable steps” to prevent Australians under 16 from holding accounts; the industry code extends identity and age checks to logged‑in search accounts in some cases, and tools could include account history, facial age assurance, bank‑card checks or ID‑based checks — but platforms can choose their methods [4] [5] [8]. The government set an implementation window through 2025 to let platforms develop and test verification systems [8].
5. Privacy, security and government framing — competing perspectives
Government sources frame Digital ID as improving security and reducing repeated exposure of identity documents following major data breaches [3]. Officials tout uptake and safeguards under the Digital ID Act [2]. Civil‑society and media reporting emphasise trade‑offs: The Guardian notes industry codes could “fundamentally change” how Australians access the internet by expanding identity or biometric checks beyond social media [4]. Independent commentators warn about privacy implications of age‑verification techniques [8]. Both perspectives appear in reporting; sources differ on whether the changes are proportionate or intrusive [3] [4] [8].
6. Practical effect for everyday Australians right now
If you choose to use Digital ID (myID or an accredited service) you can access many government services online more quickly — official material lists hundreds of services and says verified transactions accelerated in 2025 [1] [2]. If you do not use Digital ID, the government and fact sheets say you will not be compelled to adopt it, though some platforms may implement age‑checks that require identity assurance methods for logged‑in accounts [5] [3].
7. What sources don’t say and limits to the record
Available sources do not specify that every internet search will require Digital ID verification or that platforms must demand government IDs for all logged‑out activity; those extreme claims come from a blog post not corroborated by government or mainstream reporting [7]. Details on how private companies will operationalise age checks (which vendors, exact technologies, or cross‑border enforcement) are still unfolding in consultations and rule drafts [6] [8].
Bottom line: A national Digital ID system is active in 2025 and widely used for government services (15 million myIDs, 80 million verifications), and December 2025 brings stronger age‑verification duties for platforms — but the claim that all Australians will need to present a Digital ID for every search is not supported by the official sources reviewed [1] [2] [4] [5].