Though planned to be launched in December 2026, the long-in-the-works electronic identity won’t be introduced this year after all.
When the government announced in November 2023 that the long-awaited electronic identity card would be launched on December 1st, 2026, it did not know that this digital novelty would, in the years leading up to this launch, face further challenges.
Even though authorities had – since the idea was initially rejected in a referendum in 2021 – improved the card’s security features, new techologies are again delaying its introduction.
What is going on?
Because of recent developments in artificial intelligence, new improvements are necessary to ensure data protection and security, the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) announced on June 30th.
This is why the FOJ has decided to increase the level of security for obtaining the e-ID online.
“The new technical measures are designed, in particular, to make it more difficult to introduce malware onto devices and to improve the detection of deepfakes,” the FOJ said.
.”Security is more important than adhering to the initial timeline,” it added.
The FOJ will announce a new launch date for the e-ID at a later date.
A bumpy history
This is just another bump on the long road towards the introduction of digital identity in Switzerland.
In March 2021, Swiss voters turned down the government’s plan to this effect, fearing that the proposed scheme would be provided mainly by private companies which would have access to users’private data.
Faced with this failure at the polls, the then Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said that authorities “must work towards a new strategy.”
The Federal Council decided therefore that the government, rather than private entities, must provide and oversee the scheme.
“The Confederation is to be responsible for issuing the e-ID and will provide the infrastructure required to operate it,” the Federal Council said in 2023.
Adfressing voters’ concerns, It also stated that under the improved system, “data protection will be guaranteed.”
The government obviously thought that three years is a long enough time to get this the new system off the ground for the December 2026 launch.
In the meantime, however, emerging technologies like the AI have been developing at an impressive speed, which brought new challenges to the e-ID’s security, delaying its introduction for as yet undetermined period of time.
What exactly will e-ID allow you to do?
Once actually introduced, it will simplify your life and make various transactions more convenient – “a digital identity card issued by the state will make our everyday lives much easier, for example, to conveniently complete administrative procedures online,” the government said.
It will also give you access to a wide variety of services.
For instance, you will be able to order documents online — such as confirmation of residence, business register extracts, and others — which today are usually issued physically or at best as PDF documents via email.
With e-ID, however, you will be available digitally on a smartphone.
It can also be used in face-to-face situations, such as in banks to prove identity, or in shops as proof of age when buying alcohol.
READ MORE: What is Switzerland’s new ‘electronic ID’ and will you need it?
