Background
SwissID: the big fact check
Over 3.4 million customers are already using SwissID to log in easily and securely to use Swiss Post’s services. But some people are still somewhat wary of this login solution. We asked our customers what their main concerns are about SwissID and provide the facts.
Rich Content Section
Yannik: Verified identity with SwissID offers no added value!
Verified identity provides access to various online or citizens’ portals that require proof of identity. This makes it possible to use public authority services around the clock, regardless of counter opening times, because a verified identity allows you to provide legally valid electronic signatures. With the relevant identity level, you also gain access to the electronic patient record.
Marco: SwissID is not secure and puts my privacy at risk.
Quite the opposite: SwissID is built on the latest security standards to protect users’ privacy. It complies with the requirements of the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP), the Federal Act on the Electronic Patient Record (EPRO), the Federal Act on Electronic Signatures (ESigA) and the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This compliance is demonstrated by regular audits. All data is encrypted and remains entirely in Switzerland.
Emma: By forcing people to use SwissID, Swiss Post is punishing people like me who don’t want to use it. Many services are more expensive at the counter than online!
This isn’t related to SwissID per se. If customers want to access services at the counter, Swiss Post employees will help them: they take the time to advise customers and handle the process for them. This is why services are more expensive at the counter. Please note that some services may require identification at the counter.
Deva: SwissID and Swiss Post collect our data and share it. I’m not OK with that!
The same applies to Swiss Post as to any other company whose online services are connected to SwissID: to enable customers to use our online services in the customer area, we require their personal data. Namely the data that arises from using Swiss Post’s online services. In this way, Swiss Post receives data that customers have explicitly authorized via SwissID – for example, salutation, first name, last name, language, e-mail address and mobile phone number. Swiss Post uses this data for its online services in the customer area and within the Group in accordance with the applicable General Terms and Conditions. SwissID, in turn, informs the customer which data it transmits to online service providers such as Swiss Post. Again, the following applies: data is shared by SwissID only if the customer has expressly given their consent. This consent can be revoked at any time.
Anita: SwissID uses just one login password for multiple providers. Once someone has hacked into it, they have access to all your logins.
It’s true that SwissID is a single sign-on solution where a single login password is used to access various online services. If a third party cracks that password, then theoretically they might be able to gain access to all these services. However, the advantage of a single sign-on solution is that you have only one password to manage. You can make it more complex and therefore stronger, offering more security than several weak passwords. This will also make it easier for you to regularly update your password and protect your account against unauthorized access. You can also add an extra level of security to your SwissID account with two-factor authentication (2FA) − for example, via the SwissID App.
Theo: Over 64 percent of voters rejected the e-ID Act in 2021. But Swiss Post is now forcing me to use SwissID?
Please note that these are not the same thing. SwissID is emphatically not a state electronic identity − it’s a secure and simple login solution for Swiss Post’s online customer area. To set up a SwissID account, all you need for registration is your name and e-mail address.
Mathilda: If I register for SwissID, I have to confirm my identity with an ID document or passport. But I don’t want to do that!
To log in with Swiss Post, there is no need to verify your identity with an ID document or passport. SwissID has three different trust levels, and the identity level required depends on which services you would like to use.
- Self-declared identity: a personal SwissID account, which requires you to provide your title, name and e-mail address, grants access to online applications (e.g. Swiss Post’s online services) that require no proof of identity.
- Verified identity level 1: a personal SwissID account with online identification grants access to online portals for insurance, pension funds and e-commerce platforms. It also allows you to order an extract from the debt collection register directly via the SwissID App.
- Verified identity level 2: a personal SwissID account with online or in-person identification allows you to sign contracts with a qualified electronic signature and grants access to the electronic patient record (EPR).
Pippa: For verified identity, I have to appear in person and travel to Glattbrugg (ZH). That’s far too inconvenient for me.
You can perform the identity check online at any time. All you need is the SwissID App and a valid identification document (passport or identity card). It is not necessary to appear in person in Glattbrugg or at any other identification office.
Would you like to find out more about SwissID?
You can find more information here.
