New Zealanders open to digital identity, report finds

Digital Identity New Zealand has released its 2026 consumer digital identity research report, which found that 61% of New Zealanders are ready or open to using a reusable digital identity.

The report, titled Towards Universal Trust, is based on research by Yabble. It includes a nationally representative sample as well as separate Māori and Pacific community studies. It found that 77% of respondents are comfortable with digital tools that prove a single fact, such as whether a person is over 18, without disclosing a full date of birth.

Support was also stronger for device-based identity tools. Nearly two-thirds, or 63%, said they were comfortable using a digital wallet on their own device as their main way to prove who they are.

At the same time, the research points to significant consumer caution about how organisations collect and handle personal data. Seven in 10 New Zealanders said they had experienced a problem linked to their digital identity, including 49% who said they had been targeted by a scam.

More than half of respondents, or 52%, said they abandon a product or service when it asks for information they consider unnecessary. This suggests consumers are willing to trade convenience for tighter limits on data collection.

Privacy controls emerged as a central condition for wider uptake. At least 86% of respondents said each privacy control tested was important, including the ability to cancel an organisation's access after sharing information, see a record of what was shared and with whom, give consent for a single purpose, and choose exactly what to share each time.

Maria Robertson, Chair of Digital Identity New Zealand, said the research showed a clear public preference for restraint rather than broader data collection.

“New Zealanders are not asking organisations to know more about them. They are asking organisations to ask less, and to make it clear why information is needed, how it will be protected, and how people remain in control,” Robertson said.

Trust gap

Trust levels varied markedly between sectors. Banks were the most trusted organisations to protect digital identity and personal information, with 59% of respondents expressing trust, followed by health providers and credit card brands at 51% and government agencies at 49%.

Even so, no category of provider achieved complete trust from more than 22% of respondents. The figures point to broad willingness to use digital identity tools, but more limited confidence in the institutions likely to deliver them.

The report also highlighted a gap between support for independent accreditation and public awareness of formal assurance systems. While 68% said an independently accredited trust mark would make them more likely to trust an organisation once it was explained, only 29% said they were aware of an official New Zealand trust mark or accreditation scheme, and just 15% said they understood it.

This leaves an opening for clearer communication about the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework, which is intended to give users and providers a more structured basis for trust.

Community findings

The Māori and Pacific findings showed that trust is shaped as much by relationships and community context as by technology design. Māori respondents reported higher trust in Māori and iwi organisations to protect identity information.

Pacific respondents showed strong openness to digital wallets, but were also more likely to say they did not know enough about reusable identity. The results suggest adoption may depend on how clearly systems are explained and whether governance is visible to the communities expected to use them.

Andy Higgs, Executive Director of Digital Identity New Zealand, said the research underlined the need to address those issues directly.

“Trust has to be built into the experience, not added afterwards. That means privacy-enhancing design, clear governance, plain-language communication and systems that work for the people and communities they are intended to serve,” Higgs said.

The research was drawn from a 10-minute online survey conducted by Yabble, with a general public sample of 500 New Zealanders, a Māori sample of 150, and a Pacific Peoples sample of 100.

The findings indicate that consumer acceptance of digital identity in New Zealand is less likely to hinge on convenience alone than on whether people feel they can see, limit, and revoke access to their personal information.