For several years, given the ongoing reluctance of German citizens towards the electronic identification (eID) associated with the electronic ID card, experts have been calling for a large-scale advertising campaign to make the online ID card usable among the masses. A fifth of the population (22 percent) has now used the eID function at least once. Nevertheless, Ernst Burger, head of the digital administration department at the Federal Interior Ministry, regretted last week that the government had to back down on the planned online promotion of the advantages of the digital ID card for next year, given the strain on the budget situation.
Advertisement
When it comes to education about the use of marijuana – which is now partially permitted, the situation is different. “The Federal Ministry of Health’s information campaign ‘Cannabis: legal, but…’ started in August 2023 and continues from April 2024 with the entry into force of the Cannabis Act,” explains Parliamentary State Secretary for Health Sabine Dittmar (SPD), in a response available online to a request from Markus Reichel, rapporteur for digital identity for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. A total of 2 million euros will be available for communication measures in 2024 alone. In 2023, the federal government spent a total of approximately 1.28 million euros on agency and event costs as well as media measures. This amounts to a total of approximately 3.28 million euros for two years.
Criticism of the CDU: The EID campaign “went up in smoke”
According to the letter, the corresponding placement costs are distributed as follows: around 313,000 euros were spent for outdoor advertising with posters, around 100,000 euros for social media advertising and around 22,000 euros for print ads. Since the advertising measures for 2024 have not yet been finalised, the corresponding details of expenditure cannot yet be provided.
“It is significant that the eID advertising campaign goes to waste in the 2025 budget, while there is enough money for the federal government’s cannabis advertising campaign,” Reichel complained to Heise Online. “Apparently the priorities are not right.” Instead of investing in the country’s digitalization, the executive branch is pursuing “a very controversial drug policy.” For the Christian Democrats, one thing is clear: “We need an eID with a PIN not only because of the health ID,” but also in view of the European digital wallet that will soon be required to “reach out to the people.” To achieve this, citizens must now come into more contact with the online ID card. Practical use cases are therefore necessary, “but also information about what is possible with eID today”.
(Never)
