“The e-ID is a crucial building block for Switzerland’s digital transformation”

Work on the e-ID program is on track. I am very confi dent that we will be able to introduce the e-ID as planned in 2026. 

The requirements will be stipulated by law, and this is still going through the parliamen- tary process. But it is generally clear which functions of the e-ID will be available when it is launched at the beginning of 2026. The next step is the public beta in spring 2025. In this phase, we will provide interested participants with a test version of the trust infrastructure so that they can issue and verify electronic proof of identity. Of course, during this beta phase, we cannot rule out the possibility of receiving feedback that we will incorporate before the launch. Such insights are extremely valuable and it is thanks to the broad participation of those interested in e-ID that we gain them. 

The e-ID is a crucial building block for Switzerland’s digital transformation. Nowadays, we conduct many of our interactions with government agencies and private stakeholders digitally. Whether for tax returns, online shopping, or registering with a streaming platform – a few mouse clicks are all it takes; there’s no need to go to the counter or to a store. The e-ID will make using digital services even easier and, above all, more secure. For example, the e-ID will protect against false information being provided during registration. Transactions with authorities that currently still require verification of identity in person will also be possible digitally in future. The e-ID creates trust and security for users of online services, but also for the providers themselves. Introducing the e-ID will likely give the range of digital services an additional boost. Another advantage is that the ecosystem also gives other providers the opportunity to issue secure proof of identity, so the e-ID does not always have to be used. 

It is not for me to tell banks how to conduct their business. However, I certainly assume that the e-ID will also make life easier for banks and other companies. But let’s not forget, using the e-ID is voluntary. In the future, people who have an e-ID will be able to identify themselves more easily than with the identification systems that have existed up to now. Customers who choose not to use the e-ID will continue to need such solutions. 

I am not an expert in these sectors and am not familiar with the details of the specific use cases. However, secure and simple identification in the online world will definitely simplify the provision of digital services in all sectors. One example is that online casinos will be able to use the e-ID to securely check whether users of their services are of legal age. 

As director of the FOITT, I am inclined to say that the e-ID is not a login. But I know that thanks to new technologies that do not require a traditional username and password, this distinction is becoming blurred. The e-ID will also be used as a means of accessing the new AGOV public authority login. AGOV has been operating since the beginning of 2024 and has been available in the cantons of Zurich and Appenzell Ausserrhoden since the beginning of this year for easy access to electronic tax returns. Other cantons have now also integrated AGOV or intend to do so. I therefore assume that some of the municipal and cantonal logins will cease to exist in the medium term. 

This amount doesn’t just cover setting up the e-ID; it also includes building the entire trust infrastructure and operating it for the first three years. And it encompasses the pilot project with the electronic provisional driving license as well. It is an investment in Switzerland’s digital transformation. 

Following the clear rejection of the Federal Act on Electronic Identification Services in March 2021, all parliamentary groups submitted identical motions calling for a trustworthy state e-ID. The Swiss Federal Council instructed the Federal Department of Justice and Police, the Federal Department of Finance and the Federal Chancellery to draw up an “e-ID target vision” and conduct a public consultation. The cantons, representatives from science, companies, and business organizations submitted more than 60 statements. Based on the results of the consultation, the Federal Council took a decision in principle on the new course of action for the e-ID. The focus here is on protecting privacy through technology – privacy by design – as well as data minimization and decentralized data storage. Guided by these principles, we are building a trust infrastructure that will create an ecosystem for electronic proof of identity that can be used by various stakeholders in the public and private sectors. The current solution is widely supported and I am convinced that e-ID and the trust infrastructure are a forward-looking solution; the state issues the e-ID and operates the trust infrastructure, but private sector stakeholders can also use it to issue proof of identity. 

Yes, we take data protection very seriously. I don’t think we can say for sure at this stage that the EU does less in this area than we do, especially taking into account that there could also be differences between the member states. What is clear is that the EU will not yet recognize the E-ID at the expected launch date of 2026.