The Federal Council swears a sworn oath: No one will be forced to use the e-ID. Sounds nice. But, as always, the catch is in the fine print – and it's bigger than the promise itself. Private individuals are certainly allowed to set up an "e-ID-only" service. So much for the voluntary nature of the process.
Of course, it sounds practical: Instead of laboriously uploading ID copies to dubious platforms, a magic digital ID card will ensure efficiency in the future – criminal record checks, bank accounts, phone contracts, all conveniently available with one click. It sounds like progress, but it's more like a shackle to progress. The fact that the project failed miserably in the electorate four years ago seems long forgotten in Bern. Now, the second attempt: This time, the state itself is tinkering with the software, and almost all parties are clapping along. The slogan: "Voluntary, voluntary, voluntary." A mantra repeated so often that it sounds suspicious.
But how voluntary is "voluntary"? Article 25 of the law sounds harmless: Anyone who doesn't want the e-ID can identify themselves with a passport or ID – but only in person at the counter. The golden exception applies to the digital space: Where there is no physical alternative, digital is mandatory. So, online shops can happily proclaim: "E-ID or nothing." Anyone who thinks this is coercive is a scoundrel.
For government institutions, everything supposedly remains democratically clean – mandating e-ID is impossible without a new law. But for private individuals? Well, they don't have to set up special counters just because Grandma Müller prefers to hold her ID up to the camera rather than swiping it through an app. So, anyone who shops or signs contracts in a digital-only industry is being gently pushed toward e-ID. A practical example? Mobile phone providers without physical stores, online shops with age verification. Welcome to the realm of "theoretical possibilities," as the federal government calls it.
Proponents cling to the myth of the free market: If a store only accepts e-ID, you'll just go to the competition. Sure – just like you can choose between the plague and cholera. Guarantees that e-ID will truly remain voluntary? None.
Lawyers like Martin Steiger are now rolling their eyes: the law is even being misinterpreted by the Federal Office itself. It should actually apply to everyone, including online services. But the Federal Office of Justice prefers to play around with subtleties. Critics like EDU Grand Councilor Kullmann see this as proof that the supposedly voluntary nature of the process is a house of cards. And data protection advocate Amgwerd also warns: Without the right to an "offline life," the whole thing is as voluntary as mandatory vaccination with moral scrutiny.
At the same time, the federal government is pushing the project into beta mode even before the vote. 120 civil servants and 180 million Swiss francs have long been in place, and negotiations with Brussels are in full swing. Officially, this is so that "if the vote is yes, we can deliver immediately." In other words: We'll build the system, and then you can symbolically approve it.
Voters will decide again this fall. But one thing is certain: whether they like it or not, the e-ID is gaining ground. Voluntary, of course. As voluntary as filing a tax return.
"Dravens Tales from the Crypt" has been enchanting for over 15 years with a tasteless mixture of humor, serious journalism - for current events and unbalanced reporting in the press politics - and zombies, garnished with lots of art, entertainment and punk rock. Draven has turned his hobby into a popular brand that cannot be classified.
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