OZG agreement sets the course for BundID 2.0

The OZG Amendment Act is here and with it a long overdue amendment to the law at federal level. The aim of the new regulations is to create binding standards and interfaces for the end-to-end digitalization of administrative processes. At the heart of this endeavor is the upgrading of the BundID.

"Until now, there has been the BundID and a whole range of different user accounts at state level. This is not particularly convenient for citizens. As part of the further development of the OZG, we want to focus much more on the central components," explains Marc Danneberg, Head of Public Sector at Germany's digital association Bitkom.

In future, there will therefore only be one user account for all administrative services in Germany - the BundID. For citizens, this means that they will be able to apply for all official online services in one place:

"I can use my electronic ID card to activate a so-called 'Bund user account', which I can then use to identify myself for online services and apply for online administrative services digitally," explains Danneberg.

The overhauled user portal not only simplifies application processes, but also increases transparency. As part of the provision of a data protection cockpit within the BundID, citizens will be able to see at any time which of their personal data is being exchanged between the individual authorities. However, the right to refuse to provide data again if it is already held by a public authority is not provided for, says Danneberg.

The OZG Amendment Act has created the legal basis for upgrading the BundID. Now the federal government and public authorities must work together to push ahead with implementation. How this can best be achieved and which of the best practices gained can also offer new added value for cities and municipalities will be discussed together at the Smart Country Convention 2024.