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We have already talked about this in depth: Switzerland is moving forward in terms of digitalisation. In this context, e-government too is on the rise. Good for everyone? Apparently not. Although around 92 percent of the Swiss see added value in the digital state apparatus, many citizens are unsettled: What does the state intend to do with my sensitive data? And even if the state itself does not play fast and loose with it: Can the state protect my data in such a way that no one else does either? So far, the authorities have kept their plans secret.
An unfortunate move, because nothing leaves more space for wild speculation than a lack of information! We, too, have been infected by this and have hired a woman for delicate missions: Investigative journalist, special reporter and headline queen Tabea Ulla Thor has dived into the underworld of the smoldering rumor mill, risking much, indeed almost everything, and has allegedly brought top-secret documents into her possession that bring the plans to light. Read now exclusively what Tabea Ulla Thor has found out:
Fears about the lack of data protection have by now probably also reached the government and triggered a complete rethinking. Those responsible at the Eidgenössisches Departement des Innern (EDI) have now moved away from a centralised data processing system, as 100 percent security can hardly be guaranteed. According to rumours, an innovative solution that keeps responsibility away from those in charge is supposed look like this:
All official documents can be picked up in person at the respective offices in paper form, as before, or ordered for mailing via an online portal (→ digitalization).
The election procedure and the referendums, which are extremely popular in Switzerland, are also to be noticeably simplified by the possibilities of the digital world. In order to combine maximum data security with futuristic technology here as well, the government is apparently planning the following:
So far, it is unclear whether the drones are only available to one citizen at a time for life due to the secrecy of the ballot, or whether a drone that has completed a ballot will then for efficiency reasonsbe handed over to other voters.
Even though the plans promise all the advantages of classic e-government with strict adherence to data protection, only practice will be able to tell how much these plans will be accepted by citizens. For example, there is no word on how the government plans to introduce the older generations, who have had little exposure to deep-learning AIs and drones, to the new technologies.
It is not yet known when the government will officially present the plans. However, we will of course keep you up to date.
*Our "Feuill-IT-on" format is created in collaboration with the two freelance writers Tobias Lauterbach und Daniel Al-Kabbani who occasionally contribute to the satire platform "Der Postillon". Under the pseudonyms Strigalt von Entf, and Tabea Ulla Thor they report on current events from the world of technology – always with a wink! ;-)