Australian Government Approves ShareRing's Blockchain Age Verification System

The Australian government has approved a blockchain-based age verification system developed by ShareRing, a Melbourne-based blockchain company. This initiative is part of a broader plan to restrict social media access for younger individuals. The pilot program will involve school students from Darwin, Northern Territory, and aims to allow users to verify their age while maintaining the privacy of their personal details.

ShareRing's blockchain technology differs from centralized systems by avoiding a single point of failure due to its decentralized nature. This approach ensures that users can manage their identity data using cryptography, making public information private. As a result, users can verify their identity without repeatedly uploading supporting documents, thereby reducing the risk of security breaches.

The Age Assurance Technology Trial, conducted in collaboration with ShareRing, will adhere to the ISO 17065 impartiality framework to ensure high objectivity during the testing process. An Ethics Committee will oversee data collection, emphasizing consent and accountability, especially since the participants are younger school students. The ethics protocols will include guidelines for working with younger individuals and First Nation people, which were likely mandatory for ShareRing to secure the government tender worth around $6 million.

The pilot test will implement strict protocols for data handling to ensure high data protection and privacy. Recent data breaches have highlighted the need for enhanced security measures. The government may consider developing a decentralized database to manage age verification, ensuring that a breach would only reveal cryptographic hashes rather than sensitive personal information.

ShareRing is certified with the Digital Identity and Attribute Trust Framework (DIATF), enabling it to verify a person’s identity using a mobile app and a biometric selfie check. The company can employ reusable IDs to verify a person’s identity with minimal hassle, streamlining the verification process.

ShareRing's March 2025 Monthly Update outlines plans for the company to enter a growth phase, focusing on scaling available technologies and releasing ShareRing Pro v1.11.1, which includes Google Drive synchronization. The company has also joined the Age Verification Providers Association (AVPA) to meet ethical requirements, likely to secure more government tenders. Additionally, ShareRing has partnered with Select ID to continue its digital verification businesses in the UK, with a focus on the financial services sector.