Within a year, Danish citizens could be using their smartphone as an eID. A smartphone banking application is being developed by e-Nettet, a company set-up by Danish banks, which could potentially be reused as an eID for interacting with public administrations.
Such an app will supplement and not replace Denmark’s eID (NemID), explains the country’s Agency for Digitisation (Digitaliseringsstyrelsen - DIGST). “If the public accepts the application, they can use the app for mobile banking, but also to access numerous public web services that require NemID access”, the agency writes on its website.
According to DIGST, Danes are happy to use their eID card, but the smartphone app could be a user-friendly addition for citizens and businesses. The agency is studying what changes would be necessary to allow the app to be used as an eID.
Denmark is working on the next generation eID. MitID, the successor to NemID, is to be introduced in 2019 or 2020. The application developed by e-Nettet is not intended as a supplement to MitID, DIGST writes. MitID will include its own smartphone application.