Estonian E-Residency and Conceptions of Platform-Based State-Individual Relationship

Abstract

This study explores how government-supported digital ID systems evoke novel conceptions of platform-based state-individual relationship by drawing on the concept of platformization and Estonian e-residency as the empirical case. E-residency is a policy concept introduced by the Estonian government, which allows foreigners to apply for a state-issued digital ID in order to gain remote access to Estonian public and private e-services. Based on qualitative interviews with individuals having an e-resident digi-ID, we examine the ways in which they construe e-residency from the perspective of stateindividual relationship. Our findings indicate that apart from a transactional service-based relationship, being an e-resident can also imply a sense of membership in the state and thus serve as a basis for transnational belonging. Hence, the digital state is not only perceived as a platform manager and a service provider, but also as a membership organisation enacting its rules of inclusion through its digital ID schemes.

Social Media in Support of Indonesia's One Data Interoperability Process for Implementing Data Governance Policies

“…This diversity allows for a rich exchange of ideas and cultural expression, encouraging creativity and innovation [34]. An intelligent society recognizes the importance of cultural diversity and strives for inclusive media representation [35]. One data interoperability aims to ensure that data produced by various government entities can be interconnected and integrated and share information harmoniously [6].…”

The estonian e-residency programme and its role beyond the country’s digital public sector ecosystem*

“…The state works continuously towards an integral monitoring of the programme, including the creation of procedures for the ex-ante and ex-post checks on applicants and e-residents, following a risk-based approach. However, it must be said that the integrity of the e-residence project also rests on the responsible behavior of the e-residents themselves (Tammpuu, et al, 2022). Since the extensive attacks on the Estonian digital infrastructure in 2007 (Czosseck et al, 2011), and the shortcoming perceived in the programme, the IT capabilities and cybersecurity standards have been strengthened substantially, and not only in connection to the electronic IDs and their functionalities.…”