In the last few days, the hypothesis that Poste Italiane introduces an annual fee for the Posteid service, the SPID system (public digital identity system) offered by the Italian communications company is increasingly concrete.
A change of course that is added to what has already been done by other private providers such as Aruba, Infocert and Register.it, who have decided to make the digital identity pay. If the service had been free to date, thanks to the public funds paid to Poste Italiane, it seems that the future of the digital identity system will be different.
What is going on?
According to some rumors reported by Corriere della Sera, Poste Italiane, which manages about 28 million digital identities active in Italy (almost 75% of the total), would be ready to introduce an annual fee of about 5 euros. If this proposal was confirmed, the payment would become mandatory for all users who wish to continue using Posteid as a tool for accessing the digital services of the Public Administration.
Although the system has now become fundamental for access to numerous online services, from tax to health, the proposal raises questions about the future of free digital services and on accessibility for everyone.
Free alternative: the CIE
If the government does not intervene to avoid the introduction of this fee, the Italians would still have a valid free alternative for access to online services: the electronic identity card (CIE). This document not only replaces the old paper card, but also offers the possibility of accessing the digital services of the public administration in a simple and free way, without the need for an annual fee.
The CIE is already enabled for use as SpID, thanks to the CIID system, which allows you to use it similarly to a normal digital identity. But how does the CIE activate? Here are the main steps:
How to activate the CIE
- Reservation of appointment: to obtain the CIE, the first step is to book an appointment at the Municipality of residence (or residence) through the portal of the Ministry of the Interior (booking
- Necessary documentation:
- Release of the CIE: the card is not released immediately, but it will arrive at home by mail within 6 working days from the appointment
- Activation of the digital service: at the same time as the release, you will be provided with a PIN/PUK code that will allow you to use the CIE to access online services. Activation takes place through the official Cieid app, which you can download to your smartphone, enabled with NFC technology
- Duration of the CIE: the duration of the document varies according to age:
What advantages the CIE has compared to other systems
In addition to being free, the CIE is a valid alternative to the SPID for those who do not want to pay for digital identity. Activation through the Cieid system is accessible to everyone and does not require additional costs and, once activated, the CIE allows you to access all digital services made available by the Public Administration, without the need to use other tools or suppliers.
