Chaos around ID Austria: Emails drive users to despair!

Chaos around ID Austria: Emails drive users to despair!

In the greater Salzburg area, the digital identity ID Austria is once again causing dissatisfaction among users. Several citizens received emails about renewing their registration and feared they were falling victim to fraud, which prompted them to go to the office in person. In many cases this has led to blocked accounts and renewed bureaucratic hassle. This reports oe24.

Franz Schefbaumer, the head of the city's residents' and registration office, was also critical of the user-friendliness of the ID Austria app. He explained that while registration itself is simple, unlocking the digital identity requires either two smartphones or a laptop. These technical requirements represent a hurdle for many users, making access to the app difficult. In addition, users have described the system as not very user-friendly and bureaucratic.

Criticism of the application and increasing new registrations

ID Austria only achieved 1.6 out of 5 stars out of over 8,000 reviews in the app stores, a clear sign of dissatisfaction among users. In Salzburg, around 12,000 people registered for ID Austria last year, which corresponds to a fourfold increase compared to previous years. Despite this increase, the wave of criticism remains. In some cases, people ignored the emails they received out of fear of fraud, which led to further problems. krone.at reports on these challenges.

In addition, the public is expecting the introduction of a new EU-wide app that will replace ID Austria. This “super app” is expected to be available in Austria by the end of 2026 at the latest and is intended to create a uniform digital identity for all of Europe.

European Digital Identity Initiative

As part of the EU's digital identity initiatives, the Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services (eIDAS) Regulation was introduced in 2014, requiring Member States to set up national electronic identification systems. These systems must meet certain technical and security standards and be interconnected to enable access to online services in all EU countries. The citizen can use his national electronic identity card, such as europarl.europa.eu explained.

The aim of these initiatives is to have at least 80 percent of citizens using a digital identity to access key public services by 2030. It is emphasized that interoperability of national systems and user-friendliness are key. The focus is on protecting civil rights and a fair digital landscape. People who do not want to use the digital wallet should not be discriminated against.