Although a majority of those surveyed are in favor of digital ID cards, the proportion of rejecters in Germany is highest in a European comparison.
Almost two thirds of citizens in Germany are in favor of digital identity cards (63 percent). Almost half of Germans are convinced by the user-friendliness (46 percent), 39 percent by the practical bundling of all information in one place and a third consider their data in the digital document to be well protected (33 percent).
These are the central findings of a joint study by the Hamburg data portal Statista and the US provider of access management solutions Okta. “Kroker’s Look @ IT” presents the results exclusively in advance today.
The study “Identity: The digital trust anchor”, for which more than 12,000 people were interviewed, 2000 of them from Germany, also shows that the openness of citizens to data storage in digital ID cards depends on the type of information.
For example, every second respondent would agree if their name and date of birth were recorded (52 percent), a third medical data such as allergies and vaccination status (32 percent), and almost a quarter emergency contacts (23 percent). Only 11 percent and 8 percent, respectively, would like information on social media profiles and financial status to be saved.
The identity card with eID function, elD card or electronic residence permit offer the option of digital identification. The Smart eID Act, which came into force in September 2021, is also intended to enable citizens to authenticate themselves with just a smartphone and without an additional ID card.
Despite the existing and announced offers – and although the majority of those surveyed are in favor of digital ID systems – the proportion of those who reject digital ID cards is highest in Germany at 37 percent in a European comparison (27 percent).
Respondents cited uneasiness about the availability of data online (61 percent), concerns that data is not adequately protected (51 percent) and fear of identity theft (46 percent) as the main reasons for their reservations.
The unique identification of applicants is an important prerequisite for the secure online provision of administrative services. Currently, however, only less than a third of citizens in Germany trust the e-government services on offer (32 percent). This means that Germany brings up the rear here in a European comparison.
The study also revealed that data security is the most important factor for trust in digital administrative services. 60 percent of those questioned who are skeptical about the services stated a lack of trust in the protection of data as the main reason. At the same time, an equally large proportion of all those who trust the services justified this with their trust in data security (59 percent).
The most important facts and figures about identity management and digital citizen services in the following infographic – click twice to enlarge:
