Switzerland To Rollout Digital ID By 2026
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
BERN (Worthy News) – Switzerland will likely implement a digital identity document (ID) by 2026 after both chambers of parliament approved the necessary steps despite voters rejecting a previous law enabling the scheme.
Worthy News learned Thursday that the so-called e-ID Act will be referred back to the Swiss parliament’s lower house, the National Council, to resolve any disagreements on individual data protection and cyber security issues.
Swiss authorities said the 100 million francs (US$113.3 million) scheme aims to give people more options to confirm their identity.
The Federal Council, Switzerland’s government, stressed that ”Use of the e-ID is voluntary and free of charge.”
In a statement monitored by Worthy News, the Council added that the e-ID “can be used both on the internet—for example, when ordering a criminal records extract online—and in face-to-face situations—for example, in shops as proof of age when buying alcohol.”
The Federal Council said, “Anyone who has a Swiss identity card, a Swiss passport, or a foreign national identity card issued in Switzerland will be able to apply for an e-ID. In response to feedback from the consultation process, the Federal Council proposes that the e-ID be issued online and at passport offices.”
DEBATE ONGOING
However, Swiss sources said the government is still debating how to proceed with its technical implementation and “trust infrastructure.”
In July, a Swiss government commission recommended that e-ID data “be kept exclusively in a government digital wallet.”
Swiss officials say that private wallet makers will be able to store and present the electronic ID in the future if they comply with council regulations.
Yet the scheme is rolled out despite voters throwing out a law governing the proposed electronic identity system in a 2021 referendum amid fears about data protection.
The result was seen as a blow to plans by parliament and the government, but a few years later, both seem to agree on the need for an e-ID for people living in Switzerland.
These developments are part of a broader effort by several governments to digitalize the identities of voters and others under their control.
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