Morocco Unveils New Electronic National ID Card to Boost Digital Services

"The CINE will constitute a fast and secure bridge to digital services, guaranteeing Moroccans the possibility of secure access to the digital services of public and private institutions, while ensuring the protection of their personal data," Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit had stated during the presentation of this bill that is close to his heart.

It should be recalled that this bill pursues a major objective. It is to establish a new generation of electronic national identity cards that meet advanced security standards and guarantee the protection of citizens. The new cards, which will be more developed, will make it possible to reduce cases of fraud and identity theft, while integrating new features in line with the Kingdom’s vision for digital development.

The old CIN, presented at the time of its launch as a biometric revolution, but which quickly reached its limits given the rapid evolution of technology, will thus be replaced by the new card which presents many advantages. In terms of assets, new elements of material and immaterial security are mentioned, in accordance with the recommendations in force in this area, as well as solutions allowing the use of this identity document in electronic services, reports l’Opinion.

According to the same source, the main innovations brought by the new regulations are to be noted especially at the administrative level, and concern the reduction from 18 to 16 years of the mandatory age for obtaining the CINE, and the possibility of granting it to minors, at the request of their legal representatives, with the obligation to renew it, for the registration of fingerprints. From a technical point of view, the bill relating to the CINE provides for the replacement of the barcode of the current card by an automatic reading area and the creation of a barcode printed on the back of the card. These two elements make it possible to access the version recorded in the electronic chip, in order to better facilitate automation.

Furthermore, in addition to the use of this identity document in electronic services, the new provisions also indicate the possibility of recording additional optional information at the request of the cardholder, at the level of the electronic chip. These include the email address, telephone number or the name and contact details of a person to be contacted in an emergency.