Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins this week revealed the first prototypes of a new government app, which she says will provide a secure and convenient way for New Zealanders to access key services such as education enrolment, birth registration, and tax information.
The app will also hold digital credentials, including a planned mobile driver licence, and is being modelled on “international examples” but developed with a “distinctly New Zealand feel”.
Collins stressed that traditional service options will remain available for those who prefer not to use the app.
The announcement, however, sparked immediate criticism across social media.
Many commenters accused the government of laying the groundwork for mass surveillance, comparing the project to China’s infamous social credit system and warning it could become a tool for tracking citizens.
“Say No to Digital ID,” wrote one critic, while another added: “No one asked for this. No one wants this.”
Others cited past broken promises around driver licence photos and Covid “vaccine passports” and warned against trusting government assurances. Some dismissed the app as “completely untrustworthy and very dangerous”, arguing no government software should run on personal devices.
This article was originally published by the Daily Telegraph NZ.
