Switzerland goes its own way on electronic ID

Estonians can use their digital ID to access various online services online, including medical records. Fabian Weiss / Laif

While many countries are embracing electronic identity (e-ID) systems to modernise their public services, in Switzerland the approach remains cautious – far from the Estonian model where e-ID is compulsory.

“I used my e-ID to register my marriage, then the birth of my son, and to apply for a passport for him. It also means I can vote in Estonian elections in five minutes,” says Marili Milt, an Estonian who has been living in Brazil for a decade.

Milt, who works as a business development manager for a US company, appreciates the fact that she can carry out most administrative procedures online. “It makes my interactions with the Estonian administration so much easier,” she says.

This said, there are some things that still cannot be done online. “To obtain a certificate of legal capacity to marry, I had to give my grandmother power of attorney so she could collect the form in Estonia and send it to me,” Milt explains.

Estonian national Marili Milt who lives in Brazil. ldd

Every six years, Estonian citizens must turn up in person to provide their fingerprints in order to renew their documents. “As there’s no embassy or consulate near me here, I have to travel to Europe for this,” she says.

Game-changing decision

Estonia is often considered the European champion of digitalisation. It ranked second, just behind Malta, in the latest eGovernment BenchmarkExternal link, published by the European Commission.

The country is keen to highlight its successes. In Tallinn, the e-Estonia Briefing Centre serves as a technology showcase. Located a stone’s throw from the capital’s airport, it regularly receives delegations from around the world, who come to learn from the Estonian model.

It is from here that Johanna-Kadri Kuusk, a digital transformation adviser, explains how digitalisation has been central to national policy since the country gained independence in 1991, following the breakup of the Soviet Union. “It was chaos. Everything had to be rebuilt, including the legislative framework. We chose to focus on digital technology to catch up with the West,” she says.

A digital ID card was introduced in 2002 and made mandatory. This was a game-changing decision, Kuusk believes. “It helped ensure a high adoption rate and stopped citizens from turning to private solutions.”

The timing for this was not chosen at random. “It was the year when the first passports issued after independence were due to expire. We took advantage of this moment, when people had to renew their documents anyway, to offer them a modern version,” she explains.

Ice scraper or digital tool?

Estonian citizens were thus issued with an electronic ID card with a chip. This they can use to prove their identity online, vote, sign documents and even consult their medical records. Two further digital tools enable users to identify themselves directly using their smartphones: Mobile-ID, which is embedded in a SIM card, and Smart-ID, a standalone app that doesn’t require a mobile phone subscription.

The challenge, however, was convincing the population that the new tool was worth using. “At first, people said it was mainly good for scraping ice off car windscreens,” Kuusk smiles. It took five or six years to win over the public.

“From the outset, the government worked with the private sector, especially banks, to demonstrate the usefulness of e-ID,” she says. The first flagship services followed: electronic voting in 2005, digital medical records three years later, and then electronic prescriptions. Today, 98% of services are consumed digitally, according to Kuusk.

Digital transformation advisor Johanna-Kadri Kuusk. e-Estonia

A challenge for older citizens

Going digital has not been plain sailing for everyone, though. Milt cites the example of her grandmother, with whom she is still in close contact despite the distance. “She is 79, and using the technology is an uphill battle for her. She needs help with her computer and her phone.”

To help those struggling to keep up, the Estonian government offers digital literacy courses. What’s more, Kuusk points out, all administrative procedures can still be carried out in person. And, she continues, public libraries also play a key role, as by law they must provide access to information. “They have computers and internet connections, and the staff are trained to assist users. Older people can go there for help.”

Despite these efforts, some people still get left behind, Milt says. “Some older people need individual support. My grandmother has now found someone who comes to her house to help her, but not everyone is so lucky.”

Small piece of the puzzle

Unlike Estonia, Switzerland ranks low in the European Commission’s eGovernment Benchmark: 31st out of 37 countries.

Swissinfo

Annett Laube is a professor of computer science at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. She backed the launch of the Swiss e-ID project together with her research group. The European ranking has to be put into perspective, she cautions. “Countries that don’t have e-ID are automatically penalised. Solutions adopted by individual cantons, such as BE-Login in Bern and Züri-Login in Zurich, are not taken into account. This skews the findings.”

Laube is convinced that Switzerland is on the right track with regard to digitalisation. She advocates for a system that is centred on human needs rather than technology. “It’s not enough to convert a paper form into a PDF. Processes need to be truly rethought.” As she sees it, e-ID is just a small piece of the puzzle. “It facilitates digitalisation, but not having it is not an obstacle,” she concludes.

Unique Swiss approach

Nevertheless, over half of OECD countriesExternal link (18 out of 33) offer widespread access to public services through digital identity. Nine other countries give partial access.

Annett Laube from the Bern University of Applied Sciences. ldd

The systems used vary greatly from one country to another. “In most cases, people are able to connect to administrative services, sign documents online or identify themselves via a mobile app,” Laube explains.

Switzerland, meanwhile, has chosen a new approach that exists nowhere else, she continues. “The e-ID will not fulfil any of these functions. It will simply replace the plastic card and enable people to prove their identity, for example when registering for digital services.”

To start with, this digital identity will not be recognised by the European Union. “Once the law comes into force, an agreement will have to be concluded with Brussels,” Laube adds. If the population accepts the proposal in a nationwide vote on September 28, the Swiss e-ID should be available from summer 2026.

The challenge will then be convincing people of its usefulness, she cautions. “Think about how often you use your ID card! It’s not that often. The same will probably be true for the e-ID.”

Democracy a prerequisite

Making e-ID obligatory, as in Estonia, obviously helps guarantee high usage rates. But this model cannot be replicated everywhere, Laube believes. “It’s not applicable in Switzerland or in many other European countries.”

Mandatory e-ID can bring risks, she warns. “In a democracy with a sound legal system, such as Switzerland, this is generally not a problem. But political systems can change, and an e-ID system could be misused for surveillance or social scoring purposes, as in China.”

To limit the risks of tracking and profiling, several technical features can be implemented, Laube notes. These include data minimisation, selective disclosure and the use of one-time codes. But there’s no digital solution that leaves no trace, she says. “A functioning democracy is therefore an essential pre-condition for secure e-ID.”

Edited by Samuel Jaberg. Adapted from French by Julia Bassam/ts