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The Swiss will have to vote again on digital identity

The Swiss will have to vote again on the e-ID
The Swiss will have to vote again on the e-ID Keystone-SDA

The Swiss will once again vote on digital identity (e-ID). The referendum committee against the introduction submitted 63,000 signatures to the Federal Chancellery on Thursday.

The committee put forward several arguments against the new e-ID proposal that was approved by Parliament in December. According to them, there is no real state control, because the federal police cannot issue the e-ID without going through private parties. They also claimed that the technology is not transparent.

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Other arguments included dependence on technology firms and the risk of digital surveillance. According to the referendum committee, fundamental rights are at risk. The e-ID could serve as the basis for a social credit system and make access to services dependent on behaviour. It would also be discriminatory, as certain services would only be accessible with an e-ID.

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Friends of the Constitution, Aufrecht Schweiz, the Pirate Party and the association Referendum E-ID 2.0 were joined by the youth wing of the Swiss People’s Party and the Federal Democratic Union party.

Adapted from French by DeepL/ac

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