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Spain to Introduce Pioneering Electronic ID Cards
Fri Feb 13, 2004 01:25 PM ET
MADRID (Reuters) - Spain will introduce pioneering electronic identity cards to help boost internet security by giving people unique digital signatures, Interior Minister Angel Acebes said on Friday.
The 150 million euro ($192 million) scheme, due to be rolled out from 2005 after a pilot version at the end of this year, will replace current identity cards with a version that looks similar but carries a small chip packed with extra information.
"The electronic (identity card) will allow people to work on public and private communications networks, registering their identity and their digital signature," Acebes said, adding that the electronic signature would carry the same legal weight as a conventional one.
The government also hopes the cards could evolve into more than just a reliable identity document.
"In principle the aim is that it is a single card that we could use in future for (anything) from public administration to, if it were possible, getting money out of a cash machine," Foreign Minister Ana Palacio told reporters.
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