Confederation to issue e-ID from 2026
With the Confederation's new electronic identity (e-ID), users will be able to identify themselves digitally quickly and easily in future. On November 22, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the new Federal Act on Electronic Proof of Identity and Other Electronic Evidence. The e-ID is to be introduced in 2026.
An initial e-ID law failed in the referendum on March 7, 2021. The main criticism at the time was that private companies could issue an e-ID. According to the Federal Office of Justice, the federal government will now be responsible for issuing the e-ID and providing the infrastructure required to operate it. For example, the federal government will provide the necessary app so that users can store their e-ID on their smartphone. The app should also be accessible to people with disabilities without restriction. Contrary to what was envisaged in the consultation, it would not be the cantons but the Confederation that would provide support for users.
Who can apply for E-ID?
Anyone who has a Swiss identity card, a Swiss passport or a Swiss-issued foreigner's identity card should be able to apply for an e-ID. Based on feedback from the consultation process, the Federal Council is proposing that the E-ID can be issued not only online, but also at passport offices. The use of the E-ID would be voluntary and free of charge. It could be used both on the Internet - for example when ordering an extract from the criminal record electronically - and in the physical world - for example in stores to prove age when buying alcohol. All federal services for which the e-ID could be used would continue to be offered in the same way. At the same time, all Swiss authorities would have to accept the e-ID as a valid proof of identity, provided they allow electronic proof of identity in principle.
E-ID guarantees the best possible data protection
Users of the future state-recognized E-ID should have the greatest possible control over their data (self-sovereign identity), as stated in the Federal Council's communication. Data protection should be guaranteed firstly by the system itself (privacy by design), secondly by minimizing the necessary data flows (principle of data minimization) and thirdly by storing the E-ID exclusively on the user's smartphone (decentralized data storage). In connection with data protection, the Federal Council is proposing a further measure based on the consultation results: In order to emphasize the principle of data economy, it should be made public if someone requests more E-ID data than is necessary in a specific case.
In order to be able to react to technical and social developments, the law is formulated in a technology-neutral way, it is said. Finally, the Swiss e-ID system should comply with international standards. This should ensure that the e-ID can also be recognized and used abroad in the future. (Media release / rs)
