The Swiss come today, Sunday, to the polls to decide on identities.

This is the second national vote on the subject, since the Citizens rejected the idea in 2021 due to concerns about the protection of data and uncertainty that the proposed system, which would work by private companies; would not be safe.

According to the revised proposal, the new system will remain absolutely optional and under the control of the State, with electronic identities data to They are only stored on users’ smartphones.

Voting comes a few days after the announcement of Britain For plans to introduce her own identityin the context of efforts to limit the number of illegal immigrants living and working in the country.

British digital identity will have more limited usesbut it still raises concerns about privacy and data security.

Switzerland’s plan has already been approved by the two bodies of Parliamentand the Swiss government is the vote “yes”. Citizens can also continue to use natural identity, which has been the model in Switzerland for decades.

To mitigate concerns about privacy protection, any principle that requests information on a person – for example, evidence of age or citizenship – may be able to controls only the specific items.

Supporters of digital identity emphasize that facilitates the lives of citizens In the faster processing of bureaucratic procedures – from telephone contract to proof of age for buying alcohol online.

However, Switzerland has Long tradition in protecting the privacy of citizens. The laws on bank secrecy, which have been significantly weakened today, were initially designed to protect personal financial data from the inquisitive eyes of the state.

For years, the Google Street View existed controversial in Switzerland – And even today. Indeed, following a ruling by the Federal Court, images taken near schools, women’s shelters, hospitals or prisons must be automatically blurred before being published online.

There are also Much less CCTV cameras in Switzerland compared to many neighboring European countries.

The opponents her identity argue that the measure could undermine the privacy of citizens.

They are also afraid that, despite the new restrictions on how to collect and store data, these could be used to monitor citizens or marketing purposes.

As for concerns about personal data, as the BBC reports, most Swiss They have a smartphone and are fervently users of social media. Technological giants are already collecting their preferences, likes and dislikes, so many voters believe that allowing the Swiss authorities to access some information will not make much difference.