Internet
Traffic light coalition agrees on Online Access Act 2.0
A simplified log-in that approximates online banking practices should contribute to better acceptance of the central federal account (Federal ID). Until now, citizens have had to identify themselves with their electronic identity card (“ePerso”) every time they dial in. photo
© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
The bureaucracy in Germany robs citizens of a lot of time and nerves – also because only a few administrative procedures can be completed completely digitally. This should get better.
In a few years, people in Germany should have the right to have federal administrative services offered digitally. This is what the new edition of the Online Access Act (OZG 2.0) provides for, which the FDP, Greens and SPD factions have agreed on. The right to digital administrative services should be enforceable at the administrative court from 2028, according to the draft law, which is available to the German Press Agency.
However, the legal claim does not apply to services for which digital provision is “technically and legally” impossible or which are rarely used. It should also not be possible to claim damages. Within two years – i.e. after the next federal election – the Federal Ministry of the Interior should define standards and interfaces for online access to administrative services. The federal government could also provide impulses for the Digitization of administration in the federal states and municipalities. After its adoption in the Bundestag, the OZG 2.0 also depends on the approval of the Bundesrat.
The new OZG will affect, for example, the services of the Federal Employment Agency, said FDP member of the Bundestag Manuel Höferlin. In addition, the benefits in accordance with the Federal Training Assistance Act (Bafög) as well as the information on entries in the register of fitness to drive (“Flensburg traffic sin index”) would be provided by the federal administration.
SPD MP Dunja Kreiser said that a central component of OZG 2.0 was the abolition of the written form requirement for administrative acts. “This means that in the future, official matters can also be handled online without having to sign on paper.”
A simpler procedure should make the use of federal ID more attractive
A simplified log-in that approximates online banking practices should contribute to better acceptance of the central federal account (Federal ID). Until now, citizens have had to identify themselves with their electronic identity card (“ePerso”) every time they dial in. In the future, this should only be necessary the first time. After that, confirmation using biometric features is sufficient, such as FaceID on the iPhone.
In the future, the procedure should also be based on the security level of online banking if someone has forgotten the six-digit PIN for their “ePerso”. As part of the current austerity measures, the Ministry of the Interior decided to no longer send reset letters with which users can reset their PIN. According to reports, the coalition now wants to stick to sending letters. The replacement PINs should be sent in an 85-cent letter, as is also done by banks. Until the procedure used so far, 13 euros accrued per reset letter.
More payment options at the authority
Payment should also be simplified if citizens have to pay fees at the office. The authorities should offer several common payment methods that are “as barrier-free as possible and sufficiently secure”. According to reports, this includes not only cash and the widely used Girocard, but also credit and debit cards, PayPal and other digital payment methods such as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
The draft for the OZG 2.0 also stipulates that open standards and open interfaces should primarily be used in the future. “Open source software (should) be used with priority over software whose source code is not publicly accessible or whose license restricts use, distribution and modification,” the draft says.
With the OZG 2.0, the federal government is also saying goodbye to the proprietary email project De-Mail: “The obligation of federal authorities to open electronic access through a De-Mail address has proven to be uneconomical given the low use of De-Mail proven and should no longer exist in the future.”
Obligations from OZG 1.0 not fulfilled in a timely manner
The traffic light coalition is lagging behind current law in its efforts to digitize administration. The first version of the Online Access Act requires authorities to make exactly 581 government services available online since the end of 2022. At the end of 2023, only 81 of the so-called OZG services could be used completely online. According to a study by the comparison portal Verivox, 96 other official services were at least partially available online. Unlike OZG 1.0, the new law does not provide for any mandatory intermediate steps before 2028. This is somewhat reminiscent of climate protection, where ambitious goals are formulated, but, according to critics, these are sometimes postponed very far into the future.
The population complains about the lack of speed in digitalization
The fact that Germany is making too slow progress in digitalization is an impression that has become solidified among the population and among managers in recent years. In a representative survey by the Allensbach Opinion Research Institute in December, 62 percent of those surveyed agreed with the sentence “Politics has not advanced the issue of digitalization enough.” However, only around one in four believe that “resistance to digitalization” in public administration is the cause of the lack of progress in this area. According to the survey, 62 percent of the population are of the opinion that the division of responsibilities between federal, state and local authorities is also an obstacle.
“The existing obstacles and the structural errors of the previous government will now be corrected,” promises Misbah Khan, digital expert for the Greens. The member of the Bundestag admits that this is “certainly a challenge given the initial situation and the various responsibilities of the federal, state and local governments”.