AAP FACTCHECK – Australian land owners will be required to have digital identification (ID) to sell or prove ownership of their property, it’s being claimed online.
This is false. A digital ID is not required to prove ownership or sell land in Australia.
The claim first appeared in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that has gained more than 110,000 views.
“The Digitisation of all Land Titles (Property ownership in Australia) means that unless you get a Digital ID you will not be able to prove ownership of your Land for Sale or Occupation … THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!!!!,” it reads, ending with: “Anthony Albanese stated that Land Ownership was NOT under threat in Australia. HE LIED.”
The claim is being shared widely on other social media platforms.
“Sign up or lose your house title, that’s Coercion…….AGAIN!!!!!!!” one Facebook post claims accompanied by a screenshot of the X post.
A certificate of title, often referred to as a land title or title deed, is a legal document to prove ownership of property.
Kate Galloway, a property lawyer and law professor at Australian Catholic University, told AAP FactCheck hard copies of title deeds have become obsolete after the introduction of digital registers in the mid-1990s.
She said prior to digitisation, property registries held original paper deeds and the title holders held duplicates.
The title holder needed to produce the duplicate deed in the registry to prove ownership, Prof Galloway said.
“This [digital] system did away with the need for the paper duplicate title deed. It was no longer needed because there was no original title deed any more,” she said.
However, a digital ID is not a requirement for accessing digital versions.
Title certificates are managed by state and territory agencies or government departments.
AAP FactCheck contacted each Australian state and territory and they all confirmed that a digital ID is not required to access their registers, though verification-of-identity procedures can differ.
A voluntary, national digital ID scheme is due to commence at the end of 2024 after the federal parliament passed the Digital ID Bill 2024.
The legislation expands on the Australian government’s digital identity app, myGovID, which already exists as an option for using federal government services.
It means a digital ID can be used for accessing state and territory government services, with the potential for private companies to become involved from 2026 onwards.
Instead of accessing myGov by using an email, a password and answering a “secret question”, users who have set up myGovID can log in by selecting “Sign in with Digital Identity” and typing in a four-digit code displayed in the app.
Experts have told AAP FactCheck the scheme is voluntary and people can choose between using a digital ID or traditional identity documents.
AAP FactCheck has also previously addressed false claims about people needing digital ID to work or rent property in the UK.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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