The Ministry of the Interior yesterday said that it would start issuing new electronic identification cards, or “New eIDs,” in October next year, which could be integrated with smartphones.
The New eIDs are to be issued free or charge for Republic of China citizens renewing their cards and those claiming their first card when they turn 14, Department of Household Registration Director-General Chang Wan-yi (張婉宜) told a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei.
The ministry expects to complete the issuance and replacement of 23.5 million New eIDs by March 2023 at a cost of NT$4.8 billion (US$152.9 million), she said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
The electronic card would offer significantly improved protection of people’s personal data, with the types of information displayed on the card’s front and back reduced from 11 to five, she said.
To access the data encrypted in the card’s chip, cardholders would have to input a six to eight-digit password, while service providers would have to obtain approval from the ministry, she said.
The chip is sealed inside the card and electronically designed to counter scanners, making them duplication-proof, she said.
People need not worry about being monitored by the government, as authorizing access to personal information would not leave behind any records, nor would any personal information be sent back to the ministry when they are retrieved, she said.
The National Development Council in December last year said that a cardholder’s information would be encrypted before it is uploaded to a cloud via a backbone network shared by government agencies, which would only be able to access the data when necessary.
To receive the new card, people must visit their household registration offices to validate and activate their cards.
For people with disabilities or limited mobility, household registration officers would visit their homes to help them complete the registration process, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) said.
The ministry plans to develop an app called the “mobile national ID card” so that people can enjoy the conveniences associated with the New eID on their smartphones even if they do not have their cards on hand, he said.
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