Filenews 16 February 2021 - by Vasos Vassiliou
From the time someone is born until the day they die they will be electronically registered in the state's archives, while their personal data will also be managed by a global organisation, which raises fears of data leakage as recently happened on social media.
Our birth, death will only be recorded electronically, while important stations of our lives will be recorded in the archives of the state.
On the other side of the fear of the leakage of personal data, the speed of serving the citizen, the abolition of the queue, the submission of applications to various services (City Planning, Land Registry, etc.) electronically. Electronically, the citizen will be able to do almost all transactions with the State as well as with private companies. In broad terms, payments/money transfers through the JCC are a miniature of what a citizen can do.
All this can only be done when the citizen issues an electronic ID which, as was said yesterday before the Parliamentary Committee on the Interior, is an 'intangible' form which will only be activated by the electronic registration of his name and security code which only the holder of the identity will know.
The changes will be made with the adoption of relevant bills developed yesterday in broad terms by the Deputy Minister for Innovation Research and Digital Policy, Kyriakos Kokkinos. Commission President Eleni Mavrou noted that while the government had consulted the banks on the provisions of the bills, it did not consult the Commissioner for Personal Data or other bodies.In An observation by Mrs Black that a provider (an accredited organisation that can access the data of those citizens who choose to issue a digital ID for their transactions) could have been the State, the Secretary of State commented, that it could indeed have been the state but even in this case it would have to contract with a certified private organisation and operate under its umbrella.
In more detail, the Deputy Minister informing the Members said that with the identity that will be valid for three years and will cost about €20, the citizen will be able to sign electronic contracts for the conclusion of loans, be identified in order to have access to the banking systems, submit applications for various issues in the Land Registry and Urban Planning, regulate the transfer of his vehicle and generally sign electronically instead of appearing in person. The signature will have the same power as the signature on paper. At the same time, copies will not be required as is currently the case (e.g. with loans).
The head of the deputy minister's office, Kyriaki Panjiaru, said that all one needs to have with them for his electronic transactions will be his mobile phone.
Mr. Kokkinos said that the bills being promoted establish conditions and procedures regarding the issuance, renewal, suspension and revocation of electronic identity. Regarding the cost of electronic ID, he specified that it would be decided by the interior minister, who would issue decrees on it. As he said, in some countries the cost is covered by the state in the form of sponsorship (which could be done in Cyprus in the first 2-3 years) while in other countries it is covered by the private sector. I mean, like she said, a bank can tell her client, "if you stay with me, I'll cover the cost of your identity."
The House is asking for insurance claims.
The Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Eleni Mavrou, expressed concern that individuals would have access to biometric characteristics of citizens to issue identities and manage their signature. The €1m (€1m) will be used to fund the project. the proposed legislation to fine providers who may violate citizens' personal data is a ridiculous amount, he said. We have seen social media giants leaking citizens' data and there has been uproar over such actions, said Ms. Mavrou, who added that she was not convinced that the safeguards were sufficient to protect citizens.
What electronic identity means
But what does it mean for the state to use electronic ID and carry out tasks electronically? The Secretary of State gave as an example the Office of Social Insurance which, through the electronic handling of cases, has 52 staff who can be chanelled to other areas where necessary. The generalisation of electronic case handling in all government departments will result in large savings for staff and thus save resources. It also indicated that citizen service centres (JEPs) should operate electronically.
He also made reference to multidimensional benefits for the state, the economy and society, simplifying processes and increasing efficiency and productivity in the public and private sectors.
Above all, increasing speed and improving the quality of service provided to citizens and businesses is achieved, he added.
Mr Kokkinos also said that a single way of accessing public and private sector systems with a high level of assurance recognised at European level would be achieved, while citizens of other European countries could also be identified through eIDAS node and services would be provided to European citizens.
Further, he said the e-identity law is central to the state's upgrade and digital transformation. He also said that by 2025 50%-70% of the state's transactions would be implemented electronically. Describing the current procedure in relation to what will apply in the future, Mr Kokkinos said that for example today, a citizen fills out a form addressed to the communautaire for certification and then visits a JEP so that he can carry out limited transactions. In the future, all this will be gone.
