An upcoming reform is set to allow electronic identification in Finland, making it possible to prove one's identity directly from a phone using a mobile app, alongside traditional identification with a passport or ID card.
This autumn, the government will present to Parliament a draft law on digital identification, which has been drawn up by the Finance Ministry.
The digital ID would serve as an official identity document that could be used both electronically and in person, for example, to pick up parcels, to prove one's age or log in to e-services.
Two versions in development
Additionally, the ID could simplify life for people without online banking IDs. While almost half a million people in Finland live without them, they remain the most common form of identification for many public and commercial services.
According to Maria Nikkilä, Director of the Digitalisation Unit at the Ministry of Finance, there are currently two versions of the application in development - one for people with Finnish identity cards and one for foreigners without them.
"The app could be used, for example, by an exchange student planning to come to Finland or a person handling business-related matters with the authorities in Finland to log in to Finnish services," Nikkilä said.
The application does not threaten privacy
Citizen consultations have raised concerns that a digital ID card could increase surveillance and undermine data security, according to the Ministry of Finance.
According to Riitta Partala, Director of Digital Identity at the Finnish Digital Agency, the application is more likely to improve data security, as it allows users to choose what information they share when they identify themselves.
"If you have to prove that you are over 18 years old at the checkout of a shop, you do not have to share your name through a digital ID card if it is not relevant information to share in that situation," Partala said.