The systems I’ve seen are very strict on recording every access, however, didn’t enforce who could access. I guess without a culture of accountability, all that does is let you find all the privacy breaches once someone complains. You actually need the culture of audit and follow through to back it up. I may have implied it prevented privacy breaches, but it’s probably fairer to say they have all the tools they need to take it seriously but that doesn’t mean they do.
I know a bit about RealMe. As far as I know the service itself is not being phased out, and new government portals are still required to implement it. What gave you the impression it’s being phased out?
I personally think RealMe is a poor customer experience. It’s not the concept (which is good), but the execution.
I think I saw something about DIA no longer allowing it for passport renewal.
I think that’s unlikely since they are the ones pushing for its use. Perhaps it was that a verified RealMe is no longer required? Their renew passport page says you can create a RealMe during the process, which implies a verified RealMe is not required. I can’t remember if it was previously required.
The distinction between RealMe as a login service and RealMe as an identity verification service is one thing I think they convey poorly. They should consider splitting these products into two separate but connected brands.
Been ages since I had to renew so I’m probably forgetting the poor customer experience part and am about to find out.
Exciting! If you already have a RealMe then the process is mostly ok. The RealMe onboarding is atrocious and the distinction between the login and verification is endlessly confusing to users (you should not need to go to a post shop to verify your identity).
DIA has done heaps to improve the passport process in recent years so hopefully it goes smoothly for you! Looking online they seem to actually be issuing passports within normal times, too! After COVID they got so many applications all at once they were taking months to issue passports.
Just found this (orange website though) which I think must be what they were talking about, but I don’t fully follow it.
Dug up my passport as well - needs renewal next year. So hopefully this smooth going continues and we don’t get a bird flu pandemic! God I look young in that picture.
I really like RealMe, it’s super convenient as a verification, especially for those of us with limited forms of ID (I can’t actually leave the country these days but I need a passport because I also can’t drive).
I suspect the newer passport application processes make applying without a verified RealMe easier, so having to go to a post shop to verify your RealMe account was probably not helpful anymore. I know DIA got big money to improve the passport application processes.
Renewing your passport shouldn’t be a drama. If you’ve ever had one (even if expired now) then you can do the renewal process and they just use facial recognition to compare against your previous passports to confirm it’s you.
Oh I see that makes sense. Thanks! I think I was getting renewal and application mixed up.
Good, I remember it being easy-ish last time I renewed (which must have been when I signed up to RealMe hence the confusion). I remember being really surprised and happy they let me keep my old expired one because it was from back in the day and had stamps in it etc.
The only hassle was their insistance on not smiling which meant I took like 100 photos of myself to find one that didn’t full on look like a mug shot of a serial killer.
Try to avoid selfies if you can! Get someone else to take the photo. Selfies can distort the photo and also tend to mirror it. It messes with facial recognition.
It might not be too big of a deal if you’re not using it for travel but the electronic gates at customs will have trouble because they use facial recognition to let you through.
Or maybe the advice is to use selfie mode if you aren’t using it for travel since it will impact on the ability for the government to surveil you?
The systems I’ve seen are very strict on recording every access, however, didn’t enforce who could access. I guess without a culture of accountability, all that does is let you find all the privacy breaches once someone complains. You actually need the culture of audit and follow through to back it up. I may have implied it prevented privacy breaches, but it’s probably fairer to say they have all the tools they need to take it seriously but that doesn’t mean they do.
Ah, that makes sense and it tracks. If you ever want to work somewhere with little accountability, that would probably be a good place!
Speaking of govt systems do you know anything about RealMe? It sort of looks like they are phasing it out?
I know a bit about RealMe. As far as I know the service itself is not being phased out, and new government portals are still required to implement it. What gave you the impression it’s being phased out?
I personally think RealMe is a poor customer experience. It’s not the concept (which is good), but the execution.
I think I saw something about DIA no longer allowing it for passport renewal. But when I google all I get is articles saying it is being expanded.
Been ages since I had to renew so I’m probably forgetting the poor customer experience part and am about to find out.
I think that’s unlikely since they are the ones pushing for its use. Perhaps it was that a verified RealMe is no longer required? Their renew passport page says you can create a RealMe during the process, which implies a verified RealMe is not required. I can’t remember if it was previously required.
The distinction between RealMe as a login service and RealMe as an identity verification service is one thing I think they convey poorly. They should consider splitting these products into two separate but connected brands.
Exciting! If you already have a RealMe then the process is mostly ok. The RealMe onboarding is atrocious and the distinction between the login and verification is endlessly confusing to users (you should not need to go to a post shop to verify your identity).
DIA has done heaps to improve the passport process in recent years so hopefully it goes smoothly for you! Looking online they seem to actually be issuing passports within normal times, too! After COVID they got so many applications all at once they were taking months to issue passports.
Just found this (orange website though) which I think must be what they were talking about, but I don’t fully follow it.
Dug up my passport as well - needs renewal next year. So hopefully this smooth going continues and we don’t get a bird flu pandemic! God I look young in that picture.
I really like RealMe, it’s super convenient as a verification, especially for those of us with limited forms of ID (I can’t actually leave the country these days but I need a passport because I also can’t drive).
I suspect the newer passport application processes make applying without a verified RealMe easier, so having to go to a post shop to verify your RealMe account was probably not helpful anymore. I know DIA got big money to improve the passport application processes.
Renewing your passport shouldn’t be a drama. If you’ve ever had one (even if expired now) then you can do the renewal process and they just use facial recognition to compare against your previous passports to confirm it’s you.
Oh I see that makes sense. Thanks! I think I was getting renewal and application mixed up.
Good, I remember it being easy-ish last time I renewed (which must have been when I signed up to RealMe hence the confusion). I remember being really surprised and happy they let me keep my old expired one because it was from back in the day and had stamps in it etc.
The only hassle was their insistance on not smiling which meant I took like 100 photos of myself to find one that didn’t full on look like a mug shot of a serial killer.
Try to avoid selfies if you can! Get someone else to take the photo. Selfies can distort the photo and also tend to mirror it. It messes with facial recognition.
It might not be too big of a deal if you’re not using it for travel but the electronic gates at customs will have trouble because they use facial recognition to let you through.
Or maybe the advice is to use selfie mode if you aren’t using it for travel since it will impact on the ability for the government to surveil you?