ROME. Spid is at a crossroads. The public digital identity system, eight years after its birth, faces its first real moment of crisis. The agreements with the managers expired on December 31st. There is no agreement or proposal on their renewal. And at the moment the will of the government is not even clear, given that on some occasions it has shown itself to be unconvinced of Spid as a key tool for the digital identity of Italians.
The next few weeks are already decisive. Yesterday, according to what Agid confirmed to La Stampa, a first meeting was held between the general manager of the agency, Francesco Paorici, and the eleven companies authorized to issue Spid credentials. A meeting that would have taken place in a “serene” atmosphere report sources who prefer to remain anonymous. But that has seen the positions on the field emerge. The managers ask for two conditions to continue providing the service. The first: to make Spid economically viable. Today – it is explained – the State gives companies a total of one million euros a year for the service. But volumes have increased and costs have increased accordingly. And it is requested that the figure reach 50 million to be divided among the operators in proportion to the identities managed. The second is perhaps more delicate: the operators want to be involved in the event that the agency and the executive have to rethink the very future of the digital identity of Italians. So far, the reasoning is, their service has allowed millions of Italians to acquire a digital identity. And the government cannot ignore it. Conditions which, if not met, could lead at least 95% of identity providers to cease service on April 22nd. The day on which the extension of the contracts ends, which expired on December 31st as anticipated by Wired.
Both points are not easy to satisfy. Spid is currently used by 33.5 million Italians. In 2022 alone, it enabled one billion online authentications. In its category, it is the most used public service in Europe. A record. Its numbers and the reliability demonstrated in recent years in terms of safety seem to demonstrate that the system works. It works, but it doesn’t convince everyone. At least in the executive. Last December, the undersecretary of the Prime Minister, Alessio Butti, said that the system had to begin to be “turned off” in favor of the electronic identity card to avoid excessive expenditure for the state. Statement that alarmed the operators and the association that represents them, Assocertificatori.
This is why companies are asking for clarity (the most involved is Poste, which has disbursed 80% of Spid in circulation). Without them, Spid cannot exist. If they were not satisfied and were to stick to the hard line, the system would implode. It is a system designed to rely on a third party called upon to certify the identity of those who access the PA online. It is almost impossible to think that a state body could take its place overnight. The economic demand is important, but according to the operators it is the minimum to make the service sustainable, considering the management, call center and intervention costs: 50 million, they argue, is less than what the public administration saves by using it.
According to data from Assocertificatori, last year alone Inps would have saved 100 million thanks to the use of Spid to certify accesses. The game is still open. Yesterday’s meeting was not decisive. Next stop, end of April. And without an agreement, and a clear political will, it will be the last access for Spid.