Australians are increasingly using digital government services. This is a positive move given the government's strategy to make Australia one of the top three digital governments in the world by 2025.
A new survey by Publicis Sapient of more than 5,000 Australian respondents shows the number of people using digital government services is steadily increasing across all age groups.
The survey also found that citizens with working knowledge of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, and Web 3.0 are more likely to engage in digital government across technology platforms.
The majority of Australians (94%) used at least one digital government service in 2022. MyGov (56%), Healthcare (55%), and Financial Services/Taxes (45%) were among the most accessed digital government services.
Healthcare services (92%), transportation/recreation services (92%), and general (MyGov) services (89%) also recorded the highest positive ratings among the digital government services listed.
Most Australians use a digital wallet, but adoption rates vary by state and age group. Millennials (ages 25-44) and Gen This is the age group most likely to use it. Victoria (VIC) and Queensland (QLD) nationals are slightly more likely to use the digital ID method myGovID compared to New South Wales (NSW) nationals, with Victorians slightly more likely to use the digital ID method myGovID than New South Wales (NSW) nationals. They are almost twice as likely to not use a digital wallet compared to people in Wales. .
Despite Australia's steadily increasing digital adoption rate, privacy and accessibility continue to be a barrier to accessing services. People continue to be victims of cyber-attacks, fraud and identity theft, and as a result, public trust remains low, the report said.
“Some of the biggest concerns are privacy violations from storing data in a single source, the perceived threat of not being able to access personal data, and concerns about this data being stored in government databases.” explained Sanja Garik, Senior Client Partner at Publicis. Intelligent.
Regional differences
According to Publicis Sapient's Digital Citizen Report 2023, residents of New South Wales (NSW), Tasmania (TAS), Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Northern Territory (NT) are more likely to live compared to other regions. and show that general trust in digital government services is high. Victoria (VIC) and Queensland (QLD) have seen a decline in reliability following recent data breaches.
road ahead
Mr Garrick said the report showed the Australian government was “certainly on the right track in building an interconnected ecosystem to engage with the public”. To continue moving toward a fully digital and inclusive system, Galic offers several recommendations.
“Taking advantage of burgeoning mobile penetration and digital literacy to go digital, especially as Australians now expect a wide range of digital services to support their evolving needs, including digital voting, mental health services and digital driving licences, among others. We have an opportunity to expand.”
“There is also an opportunity to build public trust and confidence in personal information handling practices,” she continued. “Addressing data privacy and security challenges will increase trust and public confidence in digital government services.”
“Likewise, it is essential to involve citizens and disadvantaged communities in the development and design process. It could help provide that.”
“The time is ripe for federal, state and territory governments to engage with all sectors of society through continued digital skills development, education and investment.”
