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 – also because many administrative procedures cannot be completed digitally. That should now change in a second attempt.
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.
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, the Federal Ministry of the Interior should define standards and interfaces for online access to administrative services. The federal government could also provide impetus for the digitalization of administration in the federal states and municipalities.
“This right strengthens every citizen with the right to be able to use administrative services online and thus increases the pressure for implementation,” said the digital policy spokesman FDP parliamentary group, Maximilian Funke-Kaiser of the dpa.
Easier payment methods
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.
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 coalition is lagging behind the current law
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. However, it remained unclear whether this would allow continued use of software packages such as Microsoft Office, which are not offered open source.
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.