Federal Government's Inter-Agency Number Plan Faces Challenges
Unlawful Utilization of Citizen's Unique Identification Numbers?
Berlin - The German government's proposal to consolidate citizen identification by linking personal data across various state registers faces mounting opposition. In a critical analysis published by the FDP-affiliated Naumann Foundation, as reported by Der Spiegel, the draft bill for this project is deemed potentially unconstitutional.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior is planning to enable the personal tax identification number to serve as a universal identification number for other government agencies. According to the opinion piece, a parliamentary hearing on a register modernization law, aiming to match personal data from multiple state registers, has been scheduled by the Interior Committee of the Bundestag for December 14. If enacted, this could allow more than 83 million German citizens' and taxpayers' data from 57 authority registers to be linked and analyzed with targeted queries in just minutes, raising concerns about unchecked data access.
The authors of the opinion piece suggest alternative solutions, such as limiting the scope of data linking to maintain control over the use and processing of sensitive information. Failure to take such measures could increase the probability of the law being declared unconstitutional by the Federal Constitutional Court.
In a broader context, the German government has proposed a "Data Code" to consolidate existing data regulations and establish a right to open government data[1]. Additionally, there are discussions surrounding reorganizing data protection supervision and possibly exempting certain entities from GDPR requirements[1], which could potentially alter the handling of personal data. The creation of a new Digital Ministry underscores the government's commitment to digitalization and data policy, which may influence the approach to data integration and evaluation[4][5]. However, the specifics of the Naumann Foundation's arguments or legal analyses were not immediately available.
- The ongoing debate about the German government's proposed Inter-Agency Number Plan, aimed at consolidating citizen identification, extends to policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news, as it faces mounting opposition and constitutional concerns.
- As the German Federal Government pursues a "Data Code" to consolidate existing data regulations and establish a right to open government data, it is essential to consider alternative solutions such as limiting data linking to maintain control over sensitive information, particularly amid discussions about reorganizing data protection supervision and potentially altering the handling of personal data.
