The Internet allows people, cultures and businesses to create and connect with the rest of the world, however digital literacy and access to information online isn’t equally available for everyone. Next week marks ten years since the United Nation’s first Media and Information Literacy Week, a moment to assess and celebrate progress toward everyone better understanding their rights online and feeling empowered in the face of online opportunities and threats.
Locally, Netsafe is an independent body that champions for New Zealanders to be confident internet users, in the context of both digital opportunities and in preventing online harm. We’ve been a long time supporter of their work and are proud to announce a new sponsorship to support their online safety programmes, which focus on three core areas:
Educating New Zealanders to raise awareness of and build resilience against online harms, including misinformation;
Supporting people through online incidents, for example victims of fraud or online bullying;
Advocating for a safer online environment by working closely with the online safety community, government, businesses, NGOs and media on online safety issues and solutions.
“Netsafe and Google have worked in partnership for over 15 years to find practical responses to evolving online safety threats. With this support from Google we can continue to respond to the rising demand for our services – and continue our tradition of innovating in the delivery of online safety.” said Martin Cocker, CEO of Netsafe.
At Google we invest extensively in our products and services to ensure they’re secure by default and private by design. We keep more users safe - by blocking malware, phishing attempts, spam messages and potential cyber attacks - than anyone else in the world. We also know that collaboration is key to ensuring that our products and services offer a safe and secure experience online and we believe that access to accurate, authoritative and helpful information online has never been more important. As one of YouTube’s local Trusted Flaggers, our hope is that with this grant Netsafe is further empowered to work with us to help Kiwis stay safe online.
Post content Posted by Ross Young, Government Affairs and Public Policy.
As the world moves into a new phase of the pandemic, and we recognise the unpredictability of COVID-19, ensuring Kiwis receive critical, timely and accurate information has never been more important.
That’s why we’re continuing to support the Government, nonprofits and authoritative news organisations in their efforts by focusing on three priority areas: ensuring people can access the latest and most authoritative information; amplifying vital safety and vaccination messages; and providing financial backing to health authorities and other organisations.
Providing critical and authoritative information
On all our platforms, we’re taking steps to surface the critical information families and communities need to care for their own health and look after others.
Image: Searches on the COVID-19 vaccine display key information around vaccination rates and health authority resources, while treatment-related queries surface guidance from the World Health Organisation.
When people ask questions about vaccines on Google Search, they see information panels that display the latest updates on vaccine safety, efficacy and side-effects, plus registration information that directs to the Government’s covid.govt.nz site. We’re also keeping Kiwis up to date with all the latest COVID-19 news here.
Google’s mission is to organise the world’s information to make it universally accessible and useful. Clearly, misinformation and disinformation run contrary to that mission. Where people encounter content that’s unreliable or actively designed to mislead them, our apps and services do not serve their purpose of connecting people with content that is relevant and useful to them, and we risk losing their trust. As such, we take these issues seriously. Our goal is to elevate high quality content and authoritative sources, remove content and behaviours that infringe on our community guidelines and reduce the spread of potentially harmful information. Since the start of the pandemic, YouTube’s policy to address medical misinformation about COVID-19 was enforced. We recently expanded this policy to include currently administered vaccines that are approved and confirmed to be safe and effective by local health authorities and the World Health Organisation.
Sharing helpful information through Maps
To make it easier for Kiwis to find locations of vaccination centres nationwide, we’re now sharing these in Search and Maps. And we’re continuing to work closely with the Ministry of Health to make more vaccination center information available.
Image: Searching for vaccines in Maps and Search now shows vaccination centers across the country.
The Community Mobility Reports, which have been published since early 2020 and analyse aggregate, anonymised location history and provide local insights into the impact of social distancing, continue to be updated. These reports aim to provide insights into what has changed in response to policies aimed at combating COVID-19.
Supporting health authorities and addressing misinformation
It is important that Kiwis find critical information they need when they are searching for it, which is why we’re providing Ad Grants to both the Te Puni Kōkiri -Ministry of Māori Development and the New Zealand Government. Since the start of the pandemic, we've donated around NZ$18m in Ad Grants to the New Zealand Government, small businesses and NGOs, helping them to get their messages out and ensuring people can get help when they need it most. We have also run Doodles across our New Zealand Search page, to encourage mask wearing, vaccinations, and also to show appreciation of the healthcare workers that continue to work hard to support us during this time. New Zealand searches for ‘COVID-19 vaccine’ reached their peak in August.
Image: Get Vaccinated, Wear a Mask Google Doodle which ran in August & September.
As New Zealand continues the vaccine roll-out we’ll keep doing all we can to support these efforts.
Post content Posted by Ross Young, Google New Zealand Government Affairs and Public Policy
Australian creators are now eligible for a Shorts Fund bonus! We started the YouTube Shorts Fund to reward creators who make creative and unique Shorts - and now we’re expanding eligibility to over 30 new countries, including Australia!
First announced by Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s Chief Business Officer in August, the US$100M fund will be distributed over 2021-2022. Each month, we’ll invite thousands of eligible creators to claim a payment from the Fund. This is the first step in our journey to build a monetisation model for Shorts on YouTube and any creator that meets our eligibility criteria can participate.
We’re excited about what this means for creators in Australia. Not only does the Shorts Fund reward the next generation of mobile creators for their original contributions to Shorts, it also offers them a new way to earn money and build a business on YouTube.
YouTube has helped a growing community of creators and artists to transform their creativity into viable businesses. We laid the groundwork for this modern-day creator economy over 14 years ago when we launched the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) — a first-of-its kind business model that shares the majority of revenue generated on the platform with creators. Along the way, we’ve continued investing in new monetisation options for creators beyond advertising, including, Merchandise, Channel Memberships, Super Chats and Super Stickers. In just over the last three years, we’ve paid more than $30 billion to creators, artists, and media companies. And in Q2 2021, we paid more to YouTube creators and partners than in any quarter in our history.
What do How Ridiculous, Economics Explained and Saksham Magic all have in common? They’re storytellers, directors, editors, marketers, and entrepreneurs — all in one. The incredible range of talents and skills of creators is inspiring. To give creators the opportunities they need to find success, YouTube has evolved from being just a place where people upload and share videos. It’s now a destination where creators can find new audiences, connect with fans in different ways, and build growing businesses. Our shared goal with creators is to help them build robust and diversified business models that work with both their unique content and community of fans.
Alongside the Shorts Fund, here are more ways creators can make money and build a business on YouTube:
The YouTube Shorts Fund, a US$100M fund distributed over 2021-2022, launches today! Each month, we'll reach out to thousands of eligible creators to claim a payment from the Fund - creators can make anywhere from US$100 to US$10,000 based on viewership and engagement on their Shorts. The Shorts Fund is the first step in our journey to build a monetisation model for Shorts on YouTube and is not limited to just creators in YPP — any creator that meets our eligibility criteria can participate. We're also dedicated to providing funding via our Black Voices Fund.
Ads have been at the core of creators’ revenue streams, and continue to be the main way that creators can earn money on YouTube. Creators receive the majority of the revenue generated from ads on YouTube.
YouTube Premium is a paid subscription option which enables members to enjoy ad-free content, background playback, downloads, and premium access to the YouTube Music app. The majority of subscription revenue goes to YouTube partners.
With channel memberships, creators can offer exclusive perks and content to viewers who join their channel as a monthly paying member at prices set by the creator.
Fans watching livestreams and Premieres can purchase a Super Chat: a highlighted message in the chat stream that stands out from the crowd to get even more of their favorite creator’s attention.
Now viewers can give thanks and appreciation on uploaded videos as well through Super Thanks. As an added bonus, fans will get a distinct, colourful comment to highlight the purchase, which creators can respond to.
Another way followers can show support during livestreams and Premieres is with Super Stickers, which allows fans to purchase a fun sticker that stands out.
The merch shelf allows channels to showcase their official branded merchandise right on their watch page on YouTube. Creators can choose from 30 different retailers globally.
Music fans can learn about upcoming concert listings and with a simple click, go directly to our ticketing partners’ sites to purchase tickets.
Every new fan that subscribes to their favourite creators’ channels, every new member that joins, every like, comment received and every dollar earned goes into building the business ventures of tomorrow. At YouTube, the passion and ambition of our creators fuels us to continue innovating new ways to help them realise their goals and we are committed to introducing more revenue opportunities for our creators. As creators become the next generation of media companies, we’ll continue to deliver more ways to help them do just that.
Today, we’re announcing the expansion of the YouTube Shorts Fund to New Zealand! First announced by Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s Chief Business Officer in August, the US$100M fund will be distributed over 2021-2022. Each month, we’ll invite thousands of eligible creators to claim a payment from the Fund. This is the first step in our journey to build a monetisation model for Shorts on YouTube and any creator that meets our eligibility criteria can participate. We’re excited about what this means for creators in New Zealand. Not only does the Shorts Fund reward the next generation of mobile creators for their original contributions to Shorts, it also offers them a new way to earn money and build a business on YouTube.
YouTube has helped a growing community of Kiwi creators and artists to transform their creativity into viable businesses. Along with the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which is our unique business model that shares the majority of revenue generated on the platform with creators, YouTube has continued investing in new monetisation options for creators beyond advertising, including Merchandise, Channel Memberships, Super Chats and Super Stickers. In Q2 2021, we paid more to YouTube creators and partners globally than in any quarter in our history.
What do Bryce Langston, Toby Hendy and Daneger and Stacey all have in common? They’re storytellers, directors, editors, marketers, and entrepreneurs — all in one. The range of talents and skills of creators is inspiring. To give creators the opportunities they need to find success, YouTube has evolved from being just a place where people upload and share videos. It’s now a destination where creators can find new audiences, connect with fans in different ways, and build growing businesses. Over 90% of watch time on content produced by New Zealand channels came from outside New Zealand in 2020, so our shared goal with creators is to help them build robust and diversified business models that work with both their unique content and community of fans.
Alongside the Shorts Fund, here are 9 ways in which creators can continue to earn more revenues from their content on YouTube and build robust businesses.
The YouTube Shorts Fund, a global NZ$140M fund distributed over 2021-2022, has expanded to New Zealand, with eligible creators who qualify receiving a notification from next week! Each month, we'll reach out to thousands of eligible creators to claim a payment from the Fund - creators can make anywhere from NZ$140 to $14,000 based on viewership and engagement on their Shorts. The Shorts Fund is the first step in our journey to build a monetisation model for Shorts on YouTube and is not limited to just creators in YPP — any creator that meets our eligibility criteria can participate. Check out all the details here.
Ads have been at the core of creators’ revenue streams, and continue to be the main way that creators can earn money on YouTube. Creators receive the majority of the revenue generated from ads on YouTube.
YouTube Premium is a paid subscription option which enables members to enjoy ad-free content, background playback, downloads, and premium access to the YouTube Music app. The majority of subscription revenue goes to YouTube partners.
With channel memberships, creators can offer exclusive perks and content to viewers who join their channel as a monthly paying member at prices set by the creator.
Fans watching livestreams and Premieres can purchase a Super Chat: a highlighted message in the chat stream that stands out from the crowd to get even more of their favorite creator’s attention.
Now viewers can give thanks and appreciation on uploaded videos as well through Super Thanks. As an added bonus, fans will get a distinct, colorful comment to highlight the purchase, which creators can respond to.
Another way followers can show support during livestreams and Premieres is with Super Stickers, which allows fans to purchase a fun sticker that stands out.
The merch shelf allows channels to showcase their official branded merchandise right on their watch page on YouTube. Creators can choose from 30 different retailers globally.
Every new fan that subscribes to their favourite creators’ channels, every new member that joins, every like, comment received and every dollar earned goes into building the business ventures of tomorrow. At YouTube, the passion and ambition of our creators fuels us to continue innovating new ways to help them realise their goals and we are committed to introducing more revenue opportunities for our creators. As creators become the next generation of media companies, we’ll continue to deliver more ways to help them do just that.
Have you ever wondered how to make your online accounts secure, but not known how to do that? If so, you’re not alone! One of the main reasons Kiwis don’t always take deliberate steps to improve their online security, is not knowing what steps to take, or where to start (37%).
New research, conducted for Google New Zealand by YouGov, shows that most Kiwis are not always taking deliberate steps to enhance their online security (69%). This is despite a third of us admitting that we’re aware of a time a password was compromised or hacked. In fact one in five Kiwis have fallen victim to phishing or an online scam.
This is why Google invests extensively in our products and services to ensure they’re secure by default and private by design. We keep more users safe - by blocking malware, phishing attempts, spam messages and potential cyber attacks - than anyone else in the world, but it’s also important that people take advantage of tools to improve their protection.
While online security can seem confusing, or boring, the good news is that there are some very easy things we can all do to keep ourselves safer online:
Use a password manager to create and store strong passwords for every account. For example, Google’s Password Manager, built directly into your Google Account, uses the latest AI security technology to protect your passwords.
Turn on 2-Step Verification. This helps to keep out anyone who shouldn’t have access to your account by requiring you to use a secondary factor on top of your username and password to log in to your account.
Make sure site connections are secure. If the url is secure the Chrome browser will display a grey fully locked icon in the url field.
Always validate URLs and suspicious links. Double-check the URL by hovering over the link or long-pressing the text on mobile — to make sure that the website or app is legitimate; and make sure that the URL begins with 'https'.
Double check files before downloading. If you come across a suspicious attachment, use Chrome or Google Drive to open it. They automatically scan the file and warn you if we detect a virus.
We also launched the Google Safety Centre to share these and other simple solutions, information and advice for New Zealanders to protect themselves online
The research data comes from a report which looked at Kiwis’ attitudes to online safety and security. Key findings also include:
Deliberate steps to improve online security
Seven in ten (59%) New Zealand adults are not always taking deliberate steps in order to improve their online security.
Younger Kiwis aged 18-34 (80%) are more likely than older Australians aged 50+ (58%) to say they do not always take deliberate steps all the time in order to improve their online security.
Barriers to taking deliberate action
Among those who are not currently taking deliberate steps to protect themselves online all the time, the main reason as to why is because they say they wouldn't know what steps they could take or where to start (37%).
Women (44%) are more likely than men (28%) to suggest that they wouldn’t know what steps they could take or where to start in regard to protecting themselves online.
Passwords
Only three in ten (31%) Kiwi adults say that they always use a different password for every account online. A further three in ten (31%) say they use a couple of passwords across their account, but they do overlap, one in five (22%) say they use similar passwords based on the same word / phrase for all their accounts, while 6%, the equivalent of 218k Kiwis say they use the exact same password for all their accounts where possible. While, one in five (19%) say they often forget the password they use online.
Alarmingly, the younger Kiwis aged 18-34 (8%) are twice as likely to use the exact same password for all their accounts where possible compared to those aged 50+ (3%), as well as more likely to say they use a couple of passwords across their account, but they do overlap (18-34 26% compared to 50+ 18%), which potentially suggests a degree of complacency amongst the younger tech savvy generations
Just one in four (26%) use a password manager, a tool designed to provide strong passwords that are safely secured.
Two-factor authentication usage
Nearly one in five people (18%) didn’t know what two-factor authentication, the addition of app or text approval to access an account, meant, with just one in ten (9%) always using this layer of protection that is widely recognised as best practice, for online accounts.
Methodology
Consumer research conducted on behalf of Google New Zealand by YouGov. The research comprised a national sample of 1,511 New Zealand adults 18+ years during the period 11-18 August 2021.
Post content Posted by Ross Young, Google New Zealand Government Affairs and Public Policy
Nearly 1 million students will find themselves out of school in New Zealand during a national COVID-19 lockdown. While this can in turn put families, schools and teachers under immense pressure to ensure that students continue to learn, over the past 18 months Kiwi teachers and students have greatly accelerated their digital skills. Whether the ‘classroom’ is in-person, virtual or a hybrid of the two, building educators and students capacity and equal access to digital skills education has been central to the partnerships Google has developed throughout New Zealand.
That’s why today we’re pleased to announce the continuation and evolution of our agreement with the Ministry of Education. Since 2018 we’ve provided all state and state-integrated schools across New Zealand with Ministry-funded Chrome Education Upgrades to manage new and existing unmanaged Chromebooks. Now, in addition, the Chrome Education Upgrade will be available to schools via our distribution partner Synnex NZ, allowing schools to also upgrade their Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals (the free for Education edition - previously called G Suite for Education) to Google Workspace for Education Plus.
Google Workspace for Education Plus gives schools access to enterprise level teaching and learning, reporting and security tools. This comprehensive edition includes all the enhanced security features and tools from Education Standard, the Teaching and Learning Upgrade, and more to ensure your school has the best educational tools available.
Schools can harness the power of enhanced teaching and learning tools like secure Breakout rooms in Google Meet, Originality checkers in Google classroom and the ability to livestream important school events to the community wherever they are. Kura can customise and personalise Big Query data exports of their student engagement to help support their student learning journeys.
The Chrome Education upgrade was developed to make device management in schools a breeze, so that teachers and students can focus on what’s most important—teaching and learning. Equipped with the Chrome Education upgrade, schools can utilise essential education features to better support the many ways Chromebooks - the number one device in New Zealand schools - are used in the classroom.
The introduction of Chrome Education Upgrade Licences with Workspace for Education, now provides schools with an advanced set of Google Education tools and services that are tailored for Schools, Clusters and homeschools to collaborate, streamline instruction, and keep learning safe and secure.
Our team is working to make digital tools easier and more helpful for everyone and we hope this agreement enables even more educators and students around New Zealand to access and make the most of their digital learning.
Post content Posted by Caroline Rainsford, Country Director Google New Zealand.
When we first introduced our truly wireless Pixel Buds, we were most excited about how such a small product could pack so much functionality. Now, we’re making that same premium sound quality, along with hands-free help from Google Assistant and real-time translation, available at an even more affordable price.
Introducing Pixel Buds A-Series: rich sound, clear calls and Google helpfulness, all in a low-profile design – for just $159.
A premium audio experience
Our research shows that most people describe great sound as full, clear and natural. This is what guides our audio tuning process and shows up in other devices, like Nest Audio. And Pixel Buds A-Series are no exception. Custom-designed 12mm dynamic speaker drivers deliver full, clear and natural sound, with the option for even more power in those low tones with Bass Boost.
To experience the full range of the speaker’s capabilities, especially in the low frequencies, a good seal is essential. We’ve scanned thousands of ears to make Pixel Buds A-Series fit securely with a gentle seal. In order to keep the fit comfortable over time, a spatial vent reduces in-ear pressure.
Each earbud also connects to the main device playing audio, and has strong individual transmission power, to keep your sound clear and uninterrupted.
Sound quality can also be affected by your environment. The new Pixel Buds A-Series come with Adaptive Sound, which increases or decreases the volume based on your surroundings. This comes in handy when you're moving from the quiet of your home to somewhere noisy like a city street, or while jogging past a loud construction site.
And your calls will have great sound too. To make sure your calls are as clear as they can be, Pixel Buds A-Series use beamforming mics to focus on your voice and reduce outside noise, making your calls crystal clear (though of course, overall call quality depends on signal strength, environment, network, and other factors). Once your call is over, quickly get back to your music with a simple “Hey Google, Play my music.”
Stylish and hardworking
For Pixel Buds A-Series, we wanted to bring back the iconic Clearly White, but added a twist with new grey undertones.
Pixel Buds’ design is inspired by the idea that great things can come in small packages: Pixel Buds A-Series include up to five hours of listening time on a single charge or up to 24 hours using the charging case. And with the ability to get a quick charge — about 15 minutes in the case gives you up to three hours of listening time — you can keep listening anywhere.1
They’re comfortable enough for those long listening sessions, and don’t worry if some of that time is devoted to a sweaty workout or a run in the rain: The earbuds are also sweat and water-resistant.2
Hands-free access to the best of Google
Google Assistant is built right into the Pixel Buds A-Series. You can get quick hands-free help to check the weather, get an answer, change the volume, or have notifications read to you with a simple “Hey Google.”
Added accessories
To help protect your new Pixel Buds A-Series, there is now the Tech21 EvoSlim — a lightweight case to shield your smallest tech from drops and scratches. It is made with a built-in microbe-reducing formula and has an easy-to-attach carabiner to help keep your Pixel Buds A-Series safe and close to hand. Available on the Google Store soon.
Pixel Buds A-Series are now available for pre-order in Australia from the Google Store, arriving to customers from August 25. Pixel Buds A-Series will be available online from August 25 at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, and Officeworks, and available at Optus and Vodafones later this year. Pixel Buds A-Series will also be available online at Telstra from August 27. For more country availability and waitlist options, visit g.co/pixelbudsaseries.
1 All listening times are approximate and were measured using music playback with pre-production hardware and software, with fully charged Pixel Buds A-Series and case, and other features disabled. Case is used to recharge Pixel Buds A-Series when their batteries are depleted. Charging times are approximate. Use of other features will decrease battery life. Battery life depends on device, features enabled, usage, environment and many other factors. Actual battery life may be lower.
2 Pixel Buds A-Series (earbuds only) have a water protection rating of IPx4 under IEC standard 60529. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and may be compromised by normal wear and tear, repair, disassembly, or damage.
Posted by Matt Gaskell, Director, Devices & Services Business Organisation ANZ
Google Nest’s mission is to build products that make a more helpful home. All of this starts with helping you understand what’s happening within the walls of your home and outside of it.
One of Nest’s first goals was to simplify home security, and it helped millions of people across the globe do this. So when we started dreaming up our next generation of cameras and doorbells, we wanted to incorporate the way the connected home — and your expectations — were heading. That included smarter alerts, wire-free options for installation flexibility, greater value and beautiful designs, plus enhanced privacy and security. We wanted our newest line to give you the most comprehensive set of intelligent alerts right out of the box, and easily work with your other Nest products, like displays.
Meet the new Google Nest Cam and Google Nest Doorbell
Then there’s Google Nest Cam with floodlight, our first connected floodlight camera ($549) and finally the second-generation Google Nest Cam (wired), a wired indoor camera and our most affordable Nest Cam ever ($169).
We’ve heard how much people appreciate it when their Nest products all work well together. These new devices are no different. With the new Nest Cams and a display, you can keep an eye on the backyard from your kitchen and get alerts when the doorbell rings. Our new cameras are also fully integrated with the Google Home app. The Google Home app works with any compatible Android or iOS device, giving you access to all your compatible home devices in one place, anywhere and anytime.
The new battery-powered Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell will go on sale on August 25, and are available for preorder today from the Google Store, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Officeworks and The Good Guys. And for those who preorder, you can also secure an extra gift of a second-generation Nest Hub from selected retailers.
Nest Cam with floodlight and the new wired indoor Nest Cam are coming soon.
Google Nest’s mission is to build products that make a more helpful home. All of this starts with helping you understand what’s happening within the walls of your home and outside of it.
One of Nest’s first goals was to simplify home security, and it helped millions of people across the globe do this. So when we started dreaming up what our next generation of cameras and doorbells would be like, we wanted to incorporate the way the connected home — and your expectations — were heading. That included smarter alerts, wire-free options for installation flexibility, greater value and beautiful designs, plus enhanced privacy and security. We wanted our newest line to give you the most comprehensive set of intelligent alerts right out of the box, and easily work with your other Nest products, like displays.
Then there’s Google Nest Cam with floodlight, our first connected floodlight camera (NZ$599) and finally the second-generation Google Nest Cam (wired), a wired indoor camera and our most affordable Nest Cam ever (NZ$189).
We’ve heard how much people appreciate it when their Nest products all work well together. These new devices are no different. With the new Nest Cams and a display, you can keep an eye on the backyard from your kitchen and get alerts when the doorbell rings. Our new cameras are also fully integrated with the Google Home app. The Google Home app works with any compatible Android or iOS device, giving you access to all your compatible home devices in one place, any where and any time.
The new battery-powered Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell will go on sale on August 25, and are available for preorder today from Google Store, Noel Leeming, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, PB Tech and 2Degrees. And for those who preorder, you can also secure an extra gift of a second-generation Nest Hub from selected retailers.
Nest Cam with floodlight and the new wired indoor Nest Cam are coming soon.
Since the onset of the COVID-19, Australia has faced many seasons and surges of the pandemic. As we continue to battle the Delta variant across multiple states, Government and health authorities are working harder than ever to test and vaccinate people – and pave the way to safely open up communities.
To support these efforts, we’ve been working with Services Australia to give you a convenient and secure way to view, save and show your vaccination status and information, straight from your smartphone.
So, we just expanded our COVID Card feature to Australia – providing a simple, private and secure way to save and access vaccination information on Android smartphones after you’ve had your second jab. Vaccine information is only stored on your device (it is not stored by Google).
To access your vaccination certificate, simply login to the Express Plus Medicare app or via the Medicare portal of the MyGov website and select the options to ‘View your COVID-19 digital certificate’ and ‘Save to Phone.’
For added convenience, you can access your vaccine information even when you’re offline, which means you do not need mobile or wifi connection. If you have the Google Pay app on your Android phone, you can also access the certificate from the same place where you access your other cards and other passes.
Every time you access your certificate, you will be asked for the password, pin or biometric method that you have set up for your Android device. If you do not have this set up on your phone, you’ll be prompted to do so to strengthen security.
The launch of the COVID Card feature in Australia builds on the many ways we’ve been working to help authorities, businesses and Australians stay safe and informed during the pandemic. This includes surfacing the latest updates, health and travel advice from authorities, and giving almost $5M AUD in ad grants to the Federal Government to support these public health initiatives. We’ve provided regular updates on Search trends and launched COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports to offer local insights on the impact of social distancing. And to help meet the cost of the virus, we’ve offered $20M in ad credits to businesses to support their pivot to online trading during these challenging times. To keep across the latest news, check out our local COVID microsite featuring the latest updates and health resources: google.com.au/covid19.
Posted by Samantha Yorke, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google Australia
