What personal information we collect

We collect personal information about you as part of our role to operate myGov.

What information we collect when you use myGov

This includes information:

  • you provide
  • myGov creates about your use
  • we get from linked services about you.

Personal information you provide to myGov

This includes your:

  • myGov username
  • myGov email address
  • mobile number, if you've registered your mobile with myGov
  • myGov password, myGov PIN and myGov app PIN
  • myGov secret questions and answers
  • preferred method of receiving myGov notifications.

It also includes any other personal information you provide to:

  • link services to your myGov account
  • update your details with linked services.

You’ll need to provide some of this information if you sign in to myGov. You should make sure your password, myGov PIN, myGov app PIN and secret questions and answers are secure at all times.

Information myGov creates about you

This includes:

  • your myGov username
  • if the source of your information is your Digital Identity or a linked service.

It also includes records of activity in your myGov account, such as:

  • account sign in attempts
  • your device, including device name, model, operating system and IP address
  • services linked
  • pages and Inbox messages you access
  • other analytics about your use of myGov.

Information we collect from the myGov app 

The myGov app will collect the following types of information:

  • your mobile device details
  • information relating to your use of the app
  • the individual identity number assigned to a government issued certificate, and displayed on that certificate. 

The information we collect will depend on your interactions with the myGov app.

Concession cards - Using QR codes

The myGov app allows you to generate a QR code version of your concession card. This allows a third party to check whether the card is valid using the myGov QR reader on the app if access to the device camera has been enabled. 

The myGov QR reader will allow the third party to confirm with Services Australia whether your card is valid without collecting your card information.

Using your camera to add items to your myGov wallet 

If you request to add an International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate to your wallet, you will be required to enter the details of your passport. The app will provide you with the option of enabling access to your mobile device’s camera to scan a physical copy of your passport.

If you enable camera access and use the scanning function, we will not collect the information listed on your passport. Your information will be held locally on your device. Your details will not be stored by myGov. No image will be stored to your device’s camera roll. 

The app uses camera functionality for optical character recognition (OCR) purposes only in relation to the capture of passport details. When using the camera function, the scan will only recognise your passport details and will not capture any additional information.

Services Australia’s International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate privacy notice provides further detail in relation to how we collect, use and disclose your personal information for the International COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate.

Data storage and security

We don’t have access to information you store in your wallet.

Data will remain on your device until the app, or your user account on the app, is deleted.

If you delete the myGov app from your device, anything stored on your device from the app, will be deleted. The items or details include:

  • any certificates or cards added to your wallet
  • any personal details saved for re-use in the wallet
  • any signatures saved in the app.

Personal information we collect from linked services

This includes:

  • claim status
  • notifications
  • payment history and future payments
  • direct debit repayments
  • emails from your linked services
  • other information related to your myGov Inbox messages
  • identity document numbers assigned to government issued certificates that you add to your myGov app wallet.

Using a Digital Identity

If you use your Digital Identity to link a service to myGov, we collect your full name and date of birth from your Digital Identity.

If you connect your Digital Identity to your myGov account, or create your myGov account using your Digital Identity, we collect:

  • your full name
  • your date of birth
  • your email address
  • a unique identifier.

If we don't collect this information, we can't connect or create your myGov account using your Digital Identity.

When you use your Digital Identity to sign in to or create a myGov account, we collect records of activity about your Digital Identity.

Creating a digital Commonwealth statutory declaration

When you create a digital Commonwealth statutory declaration we create and store a document number to help us verify the declaration.

We don’t:

  • store a copy of your declaration
  • collect or store information you enter into your declaration.

If you sign your declaration using an image stored on your device, we will store this image. We don’t collect or store any other images you use to create a declaration.

The QR code on each page of your declaration allows a third party to check if your declaration is valid. When the QR code is scanned, the third party can view all the information in your declaration.

Information we collect using Google Analytics

myGov uses Google Analytics 360 for the website. You can read about how Google Analytics collects and processes data in its privacy notice on the Google website. On myGov, Google uses cookies and collects de-identified details about the:

  • pages you visit
  • functions you use
  • search terms you enter.

We have set up Google Analytics to operate on myGov without collecting information that identifies you. This means the following information won’t be collected:

  • your email address
  • username
  • full IP address.

To stay anonymous, never enter your personal information into the myGov search box or Digital Assistant.

You can opt-out of Google Analytics if you:

  • disable or refuse the cookie
  • disable javascript
  • use the opt-out service on the Google website.

Information we collect using the Adobe Experience Platform

We use the Adobe Experience Platform (Adobe) to collect data about your interactions with myGov including the myGov app.

The information we collect depends on your interactions with the myGov website and the type of device you’re using. Adobe uses tags and cookies to collect details about:

  • pages you visit
  • how you interact with myGov pages and services
  • how you reach the myGov pages or services you visit
  • your country and state
  • your device
  • whether you access the myGov webpages or services through the website or mobile app.

If you use the app, we will collect information using a unique identifier called an Adobe Experience Cloud ID. This unique identifier won’t identify you. The ID is attached to your session and collects this information:

  • country and state location
  • interactions with the app, such as:
    • the screens you navigate to
    • the services you use and how you use them
    • if you've been able to complete a process
    • the types of credentials stored in your myGov wallet.

We analyse this data to better understand how you use myGov and access your linked services. This helps us improve your experience.

We have set up Adobe to operate on myGov without collecting information that identifies you. This means the following information won’t be collected:

  • name or myGov username
  • your email address
  • your IP address
  • any other identifiers that could link the interaction data we collect back to you.

To stay anonymous, never enter your personal information into the myGov search box or Digital Assistant.

Page last updated: 9 February 2024