Proving your own identity online is currently possible, but relatively complicated. The Smart eID should finally put an end to this. 3 years after the first announcement, the new function is now actually coming, albeit only for some citizens.
“The Smart eID law is a quantum leap for business models on the Internet and digital communication with the administration,” says Dr. Markus Richter, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of the Interior, is very optimistic for construction and homeland 2021. But what are we dealing with? Basically, it’s about ensuring that citizens will be able to identify themselves online more conveniently and securely in the future using a Smart eID. After more than 3 years of planning and postponements, this form of e-passenger is finally coming.
E-Perso, Smart-eID, ID card app?
“From autumn 2021, citizens should be able to save their online ID directly on their smartphones and securely identify themselves digitally within a few seconds without an ID card. “It’s more practical and only takes about half as long as electronic proof of identity with an ID card.” That’s what it said Report from the Federal Ministry of the Interior on February 10, 2021. The Smart eID has not yet arrived, but there is at least one new announcement: This new ID option is expected to come in the fourth quarter of 2023, said the Federal Government at the request of the CDU/CSU. But this time for real.
So far, citizens have been able to identify themselves online either using procedures such as Video-Ident or the classic E-Perso. All ID cards issued since July 2017 have the online ID function, but its use is not immediately user-friendly. In order to read the data stored in the chip card, you need either a card reader or a smartphone with an NFC chip and the ID card app 2. This is usually no longer a problem with current smartphones, but problems still occur with older models.
The new Smart eID is intended to significantly simplify the ID process by permanently storing the person’s data on the smartphone. The complicated and multi-step handling of the previous online ID function resulted in a very low application rate. Between January 2020 and June 2023, the function was only used around 19.73 million times. A good half – 10.8 million uses – occurred in the last twelve months. The need for a convenient and secure ID method seems to be increasing, but the current E-Perso is not very popular.
Also read: Digital driver’s license comes to cell phones – but still has limitations
Smart eID is coming – but only for a few
The project partners Samsung, Bundesdruckerei, Telekom Security and the Federal Office for Information Security originally targeted the launch of Smart-eID for 2020. The pilot phase only started with a considerable delay on March 28, 2022. But now the publication is finally in sight. In other European countries such as Estonia, however, digital identities have long been established.
But even if the function actually arrives by the end of this year, it will initially only be accessible to a fraction of the population. Citizens who own one of the following Samsung smartphones will particularly benefit:
- Samsung Galaxy S20/+/Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S21/+/FE/Ultra
- Samsung Ga-laxy S22/+/Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S23/+/Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy A54
- Currently there are still discussions regarding the Galaxy A53
There are two main reasons why only these models support Smart-eID: On the one hand, the cell phone manufacturers have to give their consent, otherwise the ID card cannot be stored on the smartphone. So far there has only been approval from Samsung; after all, the manufacturer was involved in the development of the Smart eID. On the other hand, not all smartphones yet have the secure chip that is necessary to store the Smart eID. The fact that the new ID function is not only coming three years late, but is also not even accessible to many people, is unlikely to contribute to the trust and spread of the new process.
How does Smart eID work?
In order to set up Smart-eID, the Bundesdruckerei’sidentification app 2 must be used again. The data stored on the digital ID card is verified here. The analogue personal data can then be transferred using the NFC function. An encrypted connection between the individual smartphone and the ID server should ensure secure data transmission for the respective application.
Citizens can now easily identify themselves online, but also in certain offline situations, without their physical ID. In principle, the Smart-eID will not replace the physical ID. You should always carry your chip card with you, especially during police checks or trips abroad.
Also read: What changes when applying for an ID card and passport
What about data protection?
The more sensitive the personal data is, the more critical the questions about data protection should be. In the case of Smart-eID, there are concerns about the companies – currently especially Samsung – that have access to the data. The federal government counters that the technical basis for the Smart eID comes from the technology program “Optimos“ come from the Federal Ministry of Economics and are therefore of state origin. Only time will tell in practice how secure Smart-eID is against fraudulent attacks. The costs that flowed into the project between 2021 and 2023 alone, at almost 90 million euros, would make the success of Smart-eID very desirable.
The EU leaves no doubt that digital identities are part of a sustainable state and administrative apparatus. Brussels is currently working on an EU-wide digital identity. Within this framework, member states should develop digital wallets (Walltes) with which citizens can digitally identify themselves or provide proof of driving license. However, the fact that the federal government’s last wallet project failed resoundingly in 2021 under Andreas Scheuer makes one look into the future with skepticism.