Sweden's new state e-ID faces implementation challenges

The Swedish Police Authority is set to launch Sverige-id, a state-issued electronic identification system intended to provide a high-security alternative to private services like BankID and Freja eID. While designed to be usable within the EU, the system faces significant early limitations.

Several major government agencies, including the Swedish Tax Agency, the Social Insurance Agency, and the Swedish Transport Agency, have expressed reluctance to join the mandatory authorization system managed by the Agency for Digital Government (Digg). These agencies have described the system as expensive and poorly designed, with the Social Insurance Agency estimating connection costs between 30 and 50 million SEK.

Technical constraints also pose challenges. The current iteration reportedly relies on Sweden Connect for access, which limits its utility for private sector services such as banking or e-commerce. Furthermore, the system is currently restricted to Android and iOS devices, lacking support for Windows, macOS, or Linux, which critics argue increases dependency on major US technology companies.