nication between authorities and enables secure, paperless e-voting.” Four cantons are currently documenting their experiences of the digital voting channel (“Swiss Review” 4/2023). Gathering online signatures would also be made easier. The Federal Council only announced recently that it would allow e-collecting on a trial basis. The diaspora could also enjoy improved access to Swiss banking services via digital ID. Lukas Weber considers it imperative that the digital document comply with international standards and thus be able to be used anywhere. The testing environment is proving popular The authorities provide regular updates on how the e-ID will look, function technically and be used. There is already a – fictional – identity document available to anyone who is interested via the app Swiyu. The testing environment is being used frequently and so far without any issues, says Rolf Rauschenbach, e-ID information officer at the Confederation. Suggestions for improvements will be acted on, he says, and the project is proceeding according to plan. “The referendum will not necessarily cause any delays.” Decision time will be in the autumn. The Federal Council has decided to hold the referendum on the e-ID Act on 28 September 2025. If the voters give the green light, digital identification can go ahead in the third quarter of 2026 as planned. If they say no, the process will come to a halt again. could be pushed towards using e-ID through costs or other machinations,” warns Amgwerd. More stringent specifications are needed: “The right to a life offline should be ensured.” A key to digitalisation The e-ID will serve the people, stressed Federal Councillor Beat Jans in parliament. It will meet the highest standards of data protection, he said: “It will be free and voluntary. It must be useful and straightforward for everyone.” The people get to make their own decisions as far as possible. They will be personally responsible for whom they choose to share personal data with. They will have access to a trust register to help them with that. If they are dealing with companies that do not meet the required security level, they will be informed accordingly. Their data will only be stored locally with layers of protection. e-ID supporters argue that electronic identification is the key to digitalising the different parts of a person’s life. It will enable efficient and end-to-end digital processes, facilitating e-voting, for example. Anyone wanting to vote online would no longer have to identify themselves by post. This would particularly benefit the Swiss Abroad, as they would no longer need to receive the printed documents in time. Lukas Weber, Director of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), is understandably positive about the new proposal. It takes account of key issues pertaining to the “Fifth Switzerland” and offers fundamental improvements, he says. According to Weber: “The state-distributed e-ID facilitates digital cross-border commuFederal Councillor Beat Jans promises an e-ID solution conforming to the highest data protection standards. Photo: Keystone Monica Amgwerd (left) thinks the data protection in the new Act still does not go far enough and that the bill repeats mistakes from 2021. Photo: Keystone Criticism of e-ID is not a matter of being left or right of centre, says campaign leader Jonas Sulzer (right). It affects everybody. Photo: Keystone Swiss Review / July 2025 / No.3 25
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