Do We Need an E-ID – Yes, No, Maybe?

Switzerland is making a new attempt at the introduction of a state-issued e-ID. After the failed vote in 2021 – mainly because private companies were to be involved in issuing the e-ID – a trustworthy state solution is now to be created. But one question remains: Do we even need a Swiss e-ID? 

Image source: https://www.eid.admin.ch/de/

At first glance, the answer seems unclear: tax returns can be submitted online, bank accounts can be opened via video identification, and contracts can be concluded by e-mail and scan. It seems that an e-ID is simply a nice-to-have.

But this view falls short. Because the new e-ID is more than just a digital identity. It is the key to a trustworthy digital identity: a basic requirement for many processes that are complicated, inefficient, or not fully digital today.

What are the specific benefits of a state-issued e-ID and where does it make everyday life easier?

The e-ID, a digital passe-partout

As a digital identity card, the e-ID makes it possible to identify yourself legally on the Internet as well as in the real world – securely, quickly and conveniently. Typical scenarios in everyday life are:

• Applying for documents
  Extracts from the register of criminal convictions and the debt collection register, confirmations of place of residence, and other sensitive documents can be applied for easily and securely online. All it takes is an e-ID. It also provides access to the electronic tax return. A code on the paper form sent by the tax office is no longer necessary. 
• Opening an account
  Today, cumbersome video identification is often required when a person wants to open a new account. With the e-ID, banks would be able to verify identity in a matter of seconds.
• Concluding a contract
  Rental or employment contracts could be legally concluded online, including secure identification.
• Proving age
  With an e-ID, access to age-restricted offers on online stores or platforms would be made easy. And this is done in a data-minimizing manner, for example by a person proving that they are «over 18» without having to disclose their name or exact date of birth.

How do private individuals benefit from the e-ID?

Security

The e-ID relies on strong authentication methods and meets the highest trust standards. This is made possible by the security technologies of modern smartphones (e.g., HSM and biometric release), encryption algorithms, and SSI technology. They provide better protection against identity theft and fraud than conventional logins or scans of ID documents.

Usability

Instead of creating a separate login for each service and going through complicated identification processes, the e-ID serves as a passe-partout – a digital ID for many applications, always simple and reliable.

Data protection and self-determination

Modern technologies ensure that a person always has full control over their e-ID. The e-ID is only stored on their own smartphone, encrypted and cannot be copied. Neither the government nor third parties can see where and how it is used. What's more, each person decides for themselves what information they disclose. Instead of complete copies of ID cards, only the necessary data is shared, for example age or nationality.

Cost efficiency and time savings

Less paper, less administration, fewer errors: an e-ID not only saves the person concerned time, but also reduces costs for companies and authorities by standardizing and automating processes.

Why the e-ID is crucial for our digital future

The e-ID is a practical tool for individual applications in everyday life. It offers private persons a secure and simple way to identify themselves digitally. 

But there’s more to the e-ID. It is also a building block of a trust infrastructure that enables far more than simple identification.

We will show you what this is all about in the next blog post on the e-ID. We then take a look at the e-ID as a strategic infrastructure project and how it can lay the foundations for a digitally sovereign Switzerland.