Amsterdam aims to boost privacy protection with the IRMA app
"We feel it's important that city residents know what data they're sharing with us."
Amsterdam's city authority is investigating the scope for further enhancing the privacy of its residents. The City is looking into the potential of IRMA, an app that enables citizens to identify themselves when accessing services, while sharing only as much personal data as strictly necessary. According to Ineke van Gelder, Product Owner on the Digital Identity Team, IRMA is a valuable solution that can help Amsterdam make its internet-based services more accessible and privacy-friendly.
Putting users in control
"With IRMA, city residents share only the data that's strictly necessary when accessing services, and they can see there and then what data is involved," says Ineke van Gelder. "So IRMA users keep control of their own personal data."
"Because the app limits data sharing, the risk of fraud is minimised. That's obviously good for the people involved, but also for the City, because we don't have to worry about protecting data we haven't got. IRMA therefore dovetails perfectly with the Amsterdam Data Strategy." Another attractive feature for the City is that IRMA can be used for online services that need various assurance levels.
User survey
Amsterdam residents were surveyed and the City produced its own video to explain the benefits of IRMA logins. The City also invited residents to install IRMA for Android or iOS and try it out with a range of demo services. "We think it's important that all local people can use IRMA," says Ineke van Gelder. "We want to give them opportunity to give it a go. So we're keeping them involved in all the developments."
Pilot projects
A pilot is now underway to investigate the viability of enabling IRMA-based access to the My Amsterdam portal. In the project, residents will be able to use an IRMA login to check the status of reports they have submitted about incidents in public places. By accessing the My Amsterdam portal with IRMA and sharing the e-mail address used to make the report, the user will be able to see a list of reports that they have submitted. A second pilot involves residents being able to use their postcodes to vote on neighbourhood improvement proposals.
Digital Government Act
For the time being, Amsterdam's use of IRMA is restricted to pilots. As Ineke van Gelder explains, "Being able to use IRMA for all the City's internet-based services depends on what happens with the Digital Government Act. The draft version of the Act allows public service providers to use other electronic IDs, rather than only DigiD, as at present. That's what we're hoping for, because alternatives such as IRMA offer additional functionality and greater transparency. At the moment, though, the Act is still being considered by parliament. Where we go next with IRMA obviously depends partly on what parliament decides, but we're very confident that we'll be able to proceed."
Silver Dutch Interactive Award
On 20 May, it was announced that the user-friendly new version of the IRMA app had won a silver Dutch Interactive Award in the Digital for Good category. Well-deserved recognition for the work done by the Informaat experience-design agency, the City of Amsterdam and the Privacy by Design foundation.
The City of Amsterdam has produced a user's manual based on the experience so far gained with IRMA. The hope is that the manual will help other municipalities plan and prepare IRMA pilot projects. SIDN will now assume responsibility for keeping the manual updated. Lots more information about what IRMA can do for your organisation is available from the 'IRMA powered by SIDN' section of this site.