Identity Document Verification Notice

To help ensure the integrity and security of the services and products we provide and to protect against identity theft, fraud, and misuse, we may ask you for your personal information to verify your identity and if needed to conduct a credit check. 

This may include collecting your identity documents to verify your identity using the Attorney-General’s Department’s Document Verification Service (DVS). This notice explains how Optus will collect, use, disclose and store your personal information.

If you have any specific needs or require this Notice in an alternative format, or if you need assistance due to any special circumstances, please contact us - see section 5 below for our contact details.

1.    How we use the DVS

We will use DVS to confirm the authenticity of your identity documents (e.g. passport, driver’s licence, Medicare card). The information you provide will be sent to the DVS Hub, administered by the Attorney-General’s Department, and matched against official records held by the government agency responsible for issuing the identity document. 

The DVS Hub will advise us of whether the information you provide matches official records.

We use the services of a third-party identity verification service provider, who passes your identity document information to the DVS. Some of our service providers may operate outside Australia, so your identity document information may be sent overseas. They will collect, use, disclose and store your personal information in accordance with their privacy policies and legal requirements.

We do not store copies of your identity documents after verifying your identity. However, we may store some personal information for business needs (e.g. for auditing) and to comply with legal requirements (e.g. Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979 (Cth)). 

The DVS Hub facilitates information transfer between us and the document issuer. The DVS Hub itself does not retain any personal information and the Attorney-General’s Department cannot view or edit any of the personal information transmitted through the DVS Hub. For information on how the government operator of the DVS will handle your personal information, see the Attorney-General’s Department’s ‘Privacy Statement – Identity Verification Services’. 

2.    Our legal obligations

Optus is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the “Privacy Act”) and the Identity Verification Services Act 2023 (Cth) (the “IVS Act”) and will handle your personal information in accordance with these laws and our Privacy Policy.

We are required to obtain your consent before we verify your identity document using the DVS.

We are also required to collect and verify identity information to comply with the requirements of Australian laws and regulations, which include for example, requirements to:

• conduct identity checks for purchase of prepaid mobile service; and
• implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for high-risk transactions, such as SIM swaps, service activations, and changes of ownership.

Any third-party identity verification service provider we use will handle your personal information in accordance with their obligations under the Privacy Act and IVS Act. 

3.    How and why are we collecting your personal information

We collect your personal information through a number of ways, including through our website, My Account, My Optus App, in person interactions, email, online and written forms and through phone calls.

• We collect your personal information to:
• verify your identity; to conduct a credit check, as required; and to provide you with our products, services and offerings that you have requested.

We may also use your personal information to detect or protect against fraud, criminal activity or misuse. 

4.    Your rights in relation to your personal information

You can agree or refuse to consent to our collection and/or use of your personal information. You can also request access or corrections to your personal information and lodge complaints with us if you have any concerns with how we handle your personal information (see section 5 and 6). 

If you do not give your consent to us using the DVS, we may not be able to verify your identity and, therefore, we may not be able to sell you our products and/or services. For example, we may be unable to provide you with a mobile phone or internet plan.

For some of our products and services, if you do not want or are unable to complete your identity verification online, you can visit an Optus store to complete identity verification in person.

5.    How to make a complaint

If you wish to make a complaint about the collection, use or disclosure of your personal information, you can contact us by:

• calling 133 937
• messaging us in the My Optus app
• or in My Account sending a letter addressed to: Optus Privacy Officer, PO BOX 888, North Ryde, NSW, 2113.

You can find out more information in our Complaints Handling Policy.

6.    Further Information

For more information about the operation and management of the DVS, visit the Government IDMatch website.

For more information about how we handle your personal information, please refer to our Privacy Policy, which outlines how you can access and seek correction of the personal information that we hold about you.