Licensed identification system set to ease online business
The Swiss government has presented plans for the introduction of a licensed electronic identity card for users of online services.
Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said the proposed system would provide clear rules in an increasingly digitalised society, and it would be user-friendly and secure.
“We currently need a card and a password for every online purchase from the Federal Railways, the banks and other services,” she told a news conference on Friday.
She said the aim was to enable to carry out a commercial order, apply for copies of criminal records from the authorities or share your patient records with a doctor using this state-verified individual identifier.
A system of digital identification, regulated by law and operated by the justice ministry, will have to ensure that individuals are unable to give false identities, she said.
The technical implementation will be handled by private companies or an official institution.
+ Learn more about the plans for a Swiss online ID system
Sommaruga acknowledged that confidence in the state providing for data protection is key for citizens and consumers alike.
In an effort to raise public awareness of the opportunities and risks of the new means, the government presents a series of animated films in German, French and Italian. External link
The proposals are subject to parliamentary approval. The government said it specified the role of the Federal Police Office and extended data protection measures following a consultation procedure among political parties, cantons and other institutions launched last November.
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