Five lessons from Swiss voters’ acceptance of e-ID

The face scan is a prerequisite for e-ID. Keystone / Anthony Anex

On Sunday 50.4% of Swiss voters backed the introduction of an electronic proof of identity (e-ID). Certain conclusions can be drawn from this vote, and prospects for the future can be outlined. Here is Swissinfo’s analysis.

1) Conservative voters almost sank the e-ID project

The very narrow yes to eID is the result of a collateral effect. It was the voters mobilised by Sunday’s other issue – the abolition of rental value – who influenced the result: the promise of lower taxes drove voters in conservative rural cantons to the polls. These regions are home to many homeowners who would benefit directly from a change in the system.

But these voters operate differently from the progressive, technophile urban Switzerland. They are older and have expressed a more pronounced distrust: of the authorities on the one hand, but also of a new digital tool proposed by the state to be installed on their phones. Thus voters motivated by the abolition of rental value overwhelmingly rejected the e-ID.

Conversely, there was a lack of support for e-ID. The urban population, potentially more favourable to the project, had little reason to travel to vote.

The practical usefulness of the e-ID remained difficult to identify, even for this segment of the population, and even more difficult to promote. The main argument remained the idea of connecting Switzerland to a digital future that was as promising as it was elusive.

2) A cautious, typically Swiss proposal that narrowly won the day

In 2021 Swiss voters rejected the e-ID by a resounding 64%. At the time, the fact that responsibility would be entrusted to private service providers and concerns about the protection of personal data led to the rejection of the project.

The government has now come back with a proposal that is entirely managed by the state and incorporates the principle of data minimisation: users will share only the information that is strictly necessary. In concrete terms, people will be able to prove that they are of age to buy wine, without disclosing their date of birth.

But the authorities have also opted for a cautious approach: the e-ID will be free and will serve only to prove identity, like a physical identity card. This contrasts with the systems in place in most other countries, where electronic identity often offers additional functionalities.

While this typically Swiss restraint has undoubtedly reassured some of the electorate, there is still considerable scepticism among large sections of the population. The government, whose arguments clearly did not carry enough weight during the campaign, will now have to work twice as hard to convince people of the usefulness of e-ID.

3) Opponents hit the nail on the head despite being split

The campaign against e-ID did not benefit from a united front. Rarely has a referendum committee been so mixed and divided.

Opponents of e-ID included the Pirate Party, a political group that has made “digital integrity” its main battle horse. In the run-up to the vote, an internal conflict split the party into two camps. These internal divisions attracted more media attention than the fundamental debate.

Initially, the conservative right also failed to speak with one voice. The youth wing of the right-wing Swiss People’s Party launched the referendum but failed to rally their elected representatives in parliament to the cause, with the exception of a few dissidents in the House of Representatives. They did, however, manage to collect 55,638 signatures for the vote.

The fact remains that the youth wing of the People’s Party proved to be more in tune with the party’s voters than its elected representatives in Bern. It was not until the delegates’ meeting in August that the People’s Party joined forces in the battle against electronic identity.

As the only major party in favour of a no vote, the People’s Party finally succeeded in mobilising support well beyond its base. Despite the defeat, the high proportion of no votes (49.6%) and the map of the country showing a clear majority of cantons against the project are a success for the conservative right.

4) Justifying one’s identity at every turn: a risk to be avoided

In everyday life, it’s quite rare for people to have to show their identity card in Switzerland. The example of age checks when buying alcohol was hammered home during the campaign to justify the introduction of the e-ID. In reality, this situation rarely arises – at least once you are in your twenties.

The identity card is most useful when taking administrative steps or travelling abroad, occasions that occur at most a few times a year.

With the introduction of e-ID, however, there is every likelihood that the temptation to use it for other purposes will increase. Banks, like other economic players, will have every interest in integrating this digital identity into their services to limit the risks of fraud or money laundering.

The widespread use of e-ID seems inevitable. The authorities are planning to spend CHF182 million ($230 million) on developing the infrastructure needed to implement it.

But beware of excessive euphoria: the constant need to present proof of identity could weaken the bond of trust – already undermined on Sunday – that exists between the Swiss people and their authorities. The latter will have to ensure that e-ID is used proportionately, at the risk of giving fresh impetus to the anti-state protest movements that sprang up during the Covid-19 pandemic.

5) The authorities will have to reach out to the digitally illiterate

The e-ID will remain optional. This is a strong promise from its supporters, who insisted on this point during the campaign, even though the word “optional” does not appear in the law. However, examples of the introduction of e-ID in other countries show that it is difficult to do without it – without having to go through tedious procedures.

The e-ID could well become the minimum standard, posing a problem for all those who refuse to use it or have major difficulties performing simple digital tasks. In Switzerland these people represent almost a third of the population.

The corollary is that dependence on our smartphones, which are already an essential part of our private and professional lives, will only increase. This development is certainly inevitable, but it will have to be accompanied by training measures to avoid widening the digital divide even further.

Edited by Marc Leutenegger/pt. Translated from German by DeepL/ts