The Swiss E-ID – between data protection and interoperability

The Swiss electorate does not want an e-ID that is operated by the private sector. With the vote on 7 March 2021, they sent a clear signal: Responsibility for a digital identity should lie with the state. Parliament then called on the federal government to develop a state e-ID that takes particular account of data protection and privacy. More than three years have now passed – what is the current status of the e-ID?

The federal government has now laid the foundations for a state E-ID. The aim is to develop a digital identity that fulfils the requirements for security and data protection. Public trust is central to this, which is why data minimisation and privacy protection play an important role. Users should disclose as little information as possible and only leave necessary data traces.

However, the development process has proven to be complex and important technical decisions are still pending. For example, it is a major challenge to design a solution that simultaneously protects the privacy of citizens and is interoperable with the applications envisaged in the EU. The EU solution prioritises transparency in the use of state e-IDs with the potential risk of surveillance.

Another issue still to be addressed is the responsibility for citizens that comes with the use of new smartphone-based technologies. The decentralised storage of the E-ID and other digital proofs on the smartphone requires conscious handling and comprehensive digital skills or digital competence on the part of citizens in order to limit errors and misuse. The first prototype for the electronic learner’s licence (eLFA), which is based on the future E-ID infrastructure, is gathering initial experience in this area.

Experts discussed this topic at the Network Policy Evening at Karl der Grosse:

• Annett Laube, Professor of Computer Science and Head of the Institute for Data Applications and Security at Bern University of Applied Sciences, explained how the scientific community assesses the current approach in terms of security and privacy.
• Rolf Rauschenbach, Information Officer for the E-ID at the Federal Office of Justice, spoke about the technical decisions and what steps still need to be taken.
• Daniel Säuberli, President of the Digital Identity and Data Sovereignty Association (DIDAS), shed light on why the step towards full open source publication has not yet been taken.