E-identity: Proposal from Zurich

Switzerland does not yet have a widely recognized electronic identification system. This is proving to be a stumbling block in the use of numerous online services and also in the electronic communication of residents with the authorities, as the government council of the canton of Zurich writes. Experts see Switzerland as lagging behind in terms of e-identification in an international comparison. But they hope that the creation of an e-ID will lead to a breakthrough in the digital economy: an e-ID should allow business partners to conduct sophisticated transactions online and to be able to identify their counterparts beyond doubt, according to the report.

In February, the federal government submitted a proposal for the creation of a Swiss E-ID for consultation. The proposal calls for the federal government to designate identity service providers that issue E-IDs they generate themselves. The canton of Zurich is now opposing this approach with a different proposal: According to this proposal, the federal government, cantons and municipalities should jointly determine how the future Swiss E-ID should be designed. However, it is not the state that is to develop these principles. Instead, it should procure the software on the market via a call for tenders.

This procedure is based on the structures used by the canton of Zurich for the introduction of the electronic patient file. According to the government council, various goals can be achieved in this way: A functioning basic architecture, investment security for the developer company and clearly defined fields of innovation.

The corresponding government council resolution (No. 471/2017) from Zurich can be found under www.rrb.zh.ch available.