Digitally inclusive public services via e-IDs? Exclusions produced in the governing of Nordic ’digital first’ policies

• Digital identifiers such as electronic identifications (e-IDs) for accessing digitalized public services have become a main policy issue in Europe and globally. Several policies are underway to create standards and interoperable digital infrastructures to facilitate their establishment (European Commission, 2019; The Global Government Forum, 2022). In this paper we aim to problematize how e-IDs currently receive status as the main means to get access and participate in (the digital) society (Whitley & Shoemaker, 2022). In particular, we aim to examine the intersecting exclusionary aspects for citizens in the encounter with digital public services, produced as part of public sector digitalization policies and e-ID technologies. We draw on examples from Sweden, Denmark and Norway, countries that are reported to be at the forefront as digitalized public services (Digital Economy and Society Index, 2022). In the Nordic countries, banks, often in collaboration with governments provide the e-ID technologies. Technically, e-IDs are only compatible with certain devices and software, and sociotechnically certain individual requirements are needed (e.g. having a social security number, being over a certain age, having a permanent address, being a bank customer). Without an approved e-ID, access to public services can be very cumbersome and difficult for some inhabitants, the reliance on proxy internet use increase (Selwyn et al., 2016) and it becomes more difficult to get qualified service. Our findings demonstrate how the ‘digital first’ policies and e-ID technologies are part of sociotechnical arrangements that needs to be examined with the intersections of ’partially digital’ and ‘non-digital’ citizens in mind. References Digital Economy and Society Index (2022). Digital Economy and Society Index 2022. European Commission. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/desi European Commission (2019, 7 Nov). National eIDs of six countries available for the EU citizens to use cross-border. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/national-eids-six-countries-available-eu-citizens-use-cross-border The Global Government Forum (2022, 28 Feb). Eight countries set out principles for the future of digital ID. https://www.globalgovernmentforum.com/eight-countries-set-out-principles-for-the-future-of-digital-id/ Selwyn, N., Johnson N., Nemorin S., Knight E. (2016). Going online on behalf of others: An investigation of 'proxy' internet consumers. Australian Communications Consumer Action Network. Whitley, E., & Schoemaker, E. (2022). On the sociopolitical configurations of digital identity principles. Data & Policy, 4, E38.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Annan teknik -- Interaktionsteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Other Engineering and Technologies -- Interaction Technologies (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Annan samhällsvetenskap -- Tvärvetenskapliga studier inom samhällsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Other Social Sciences -- Social Sciences Interdisciplinary (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Public welfare sectors; digitalisation; electronic identifications; digital inclusion/exclusion; intersectionality

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)