myGov terms of use
These terms of use were updated in March 2023. You can find out how we changed these terms of use.
myGov is run by Services Australia on behalf of the Australian Government. We refer to Services Australia as 'we' or 'us' in these terms of use.
We think of myGov as a portal or gateway. You sign in to myGov to let other organisations know who you are and to access their online services. We refer to these organisations as linked services. A linked service is an organisation, or part of an organisation, that provides online services to you through myGov. This happens when you link them to your myGov account.
For more information about how we collect, hold, use and disclose personal information, go to the myGov privacy notice.
1. Why terms of use are important
By having a myGov account, you agree to be bound by these terms of use.
Importantly, this means making sure you know and comply with your responsibilities.
2. Changes to terms of use
We may change these terms of use at any time. To keep using your myGov account, you need to accept any changes to the terms of use.
These new terms of use replace any myGov terms of use you have accepted before.
3. Who can have a myGov account
You must be a natural person to have a myGov account. This means you are an individual human being. You are not, for example, a corporate entity, robot, or a software program.
You must also have your own email address. This is because each myGov account must be linked to a unique email address. If you share an email address with someone, you can only use it for one myGov account.
4. Your responsibilities
You need to understand your responsibilities when using myGov.
If you do not comply with your responsibilities, we may lock, suspend or terminate your myGov account. In some cases, you may face civil or criminal penalties.
If you do not keep your personal information secure, someone could pretend to be you and access information from your linked services. For example, they could redirect your payments.
Provide correct and up to date information
You must make sure your personal details, such as your name and contact details are correct and up to date in myGov. If your details change, you should sign in to myGov and update them. Get help using your account.
You must make sure your details are correct and up to date with myGovID if you use Digital Identity to:
- create your myGov account
- connect to your myGov account
- link a service.
Keep linked services up to date
You must make sure your personal details are correct and up to date with linked services. For example, your name and contact details.
Sometimes the law requires you to tell a linked service when your personal details change.
When you update your personal details in myGov, it does not mean we will tell your linked services about your updates. It does not mean that their records have been changed. You are responsible for changing your personal details with your linked services as well as with myGov.
Using the ‘Update contact details with linked services’ feature does not mean that a linked service will automatically update their records. You must check if your updates have been accepted by a linked service.
Keep your myGov account safe
You are responsible for your myGov account and making sure only you can access it.
You must not allow someone else to sign in or use your myGov account.
You must keep your myGov password, myGov PIN and your secret questions and answers safe. Do not share these details with anyone else.
If you do not take reasonable steps to keep your myGov details safe, someone may sign in to your account. You are responsible for everything they do with your account. This also applies if you give someone your details to sign in to your account.
If you think someone has tried to access your myGov account, check your myGov account history for suspicious activity.
If you’re concerned after checking your account history, you should:
- Change your password.
- Go to your account settings to check your connected devices and disconnect any you don’t recognise.
- Check your activity history with your linked services and contact that service if you see suspicious activity.
If you still have concerns about your myGov account, contact us.
You should change your password or myGov PIN straight away if you think someone else knows it.
Learn more about security and how you can protect your account.
Do not access another person's myGov account
You are not allowed to access another person's myGov account.
myGov Inbox and notification settings
You need to keep your myGov Inbox notification preferences up to date. This is so you know when you have messages from linked services to read.
myGov will send you notifications when you have a message from a linked service to read. You can choose to get notifications via SMS, email or push notifications on your mobile device. Learn how to manage your contact details for your myGov Inbox.
You should read all your notifications and myGov messages in a timely manner.
If you get a myGov Inbox message addressed to another person, you must tell the relevant linked service straight away.
Banned uses of myGov
You are not allowed to use myGov or your myGov account to:
- participate in any illegal or fraudulent activity
- disrupt myGov in a way that infringes a person's rights or prevents them from using myGov
- disrupt myGov in any way that may harass, cause distress or inconvenience others
- post or send unlawful, defamatory, offensive or scandalous material
- post or send material that breaks, or encourages breaking, the law.
Linked service terms of use
Linked services may have their own terms of use. You need to understand, accept and follow the linked services terms of use.
Do not monitor or copy myGov
You are not allowed to use any software such as bots or scraper tools to access, monitor or copy myGov or its contents. You may do this only if we give you written permission.
5. When your access can be taken away
We may lock, suspend or terminate your myGov account at any time and for any reason.
This includes if you do not comply with your responsibilities outlined in the terms of use.
We may also lock, suspend or terminate your access through myGov at any time and for any reason.
Closure of inactive accounts
We may close your accounts that have not been used after a certain amount of time. We may do so when:
- your myGov account has been permanently locked
- you have not signed in for 6 months and have not linked your myGov account to a service
- you have not signed in for 24 months.
If we close your account and you want to use myGov again, you will need to create a new myGov account.
6. myGov Inbox
Sometimes a linked service will decide to send you correspondence via the myGov Inbox. By creating a myGov account, you agree to receive this correspondence.
7. Your personalised homepage
myGov draws some information from your linked services to display on your personalised home page. This could include your:
- claim status
- notifications
- payment history and scheduled future payments
- direct debit repayments.
Your home page won’t show all your interactions with services.
8. Service disruptions
We make reasonable efforts to ensure that our online services are provided continuously, with minimal disruption. We will continue to improve myGov and fix defects.
However, we cannot guarantee:
- myGov will have no defects or errors
- you will have uninterrupted access to myGov and its services.
If you cannot use myGov and you need to complete a task straight away, you should contact your linked service.
We are not responsible for any Loss as a result of:
- your use, or your inability to use, myGov or a linked service
- you not accessing a myGov Inbox message.
In these terms of use, ‘Loss’ means any loss, damage, cost or expense to any person or property. This includes:
- loss of profits or revenue
- loss or denial of opportunity
- loss of use
- loss of data
- any indirect, remote, abnormal or unforeseeable loss.
We are not responsible if a myGov notification cannot be delivered to your nominated mobile number or email address. myGov Inbox notifications tell you to access your myGov Inbox when you have a new message to read. Find out how to manage your contact details for your myGov Inbox. If you are still not getting notifications, your mobile or email provider may be able to help.
Linked services have their own terms of use. We are not responsible for:
- linked service or third-party websites being accurate, complete, current or not infringing on the rights of any person
- how linked services operate, including the messages they send to your myGov Inbox
- the security of your personal information while it is being collected by, stored or passing through a linked service system
- the deletion of your myGov Inbox messages, noting that linked services can set a date when a message will no longer appear
- making sure linked services update your personal details on their records.
Links to other websites
Some site pages and interactive content contain links to third-party sites we don’t manage.
Those sites are not within our control and may not follow the same privacy, security, or accessibility standards as ours. We are not responsible for the content or availability of those sites, their partners, or advertisers.
We provide links to third-party sites for your information and convenience only, and we do not endorse material at those sites, or any associated organisation, product or service.
9. Your personal devices, for example, your mobile, tablet or computer
Some linked service services, like mobile phone apps, may ask for your permission to access features on your device. For example, your camera.
Access to these features is only to help you with a particular service. For example, to take a picture of a document so you can upload it.
When you give access to a feature on your personal device, that access is limited to only that feature. You have not agreed to allow us, or a linked service, access to all features on your device.
10. Rights we grant you
We give you permission to use the myGov service on your device, for example, your computer or mobile. This is so long as you comply with these terms of use and any other applicable laws. The permission is in the form of a non-transferable, non-exclusive, revocable licence.
11. Applicable law
The laws of the Australian Capital Territory, Australia apply to these terms of use.
12. Severability
If a provision of these terms of use is not enforceable for any reason, the provision may be severed from the terms of use. The remainder of these terms of use remains enforceable.