State Secretary Van Huffelen (Kingdom Relations and Digitalization) informs the House of Representatives about the increase of the authentication level of DigiD in many government services.
It is important that logging in with DigiD with the government and other organizations is and remains secure, reliable and accessible. For many government services, people now log in with the DigiD app or an SMS code in addition to their username and password. Millions of people already do business with the government this way (1). About 215,000 people use only username and password. They receive a letter that safer use of the service is necessary, what they can do to get a higher level of reliability and where they can get help.
With this letter I inform your Chamber about this. Since October 1, 2022 it is no longer possible to log in to MijnBelastingdienst using only username and password.(2) Citizens will need the DigiD app or an SMS code in addition to username and password when logging in. MijnOverheid will follow in early 2023, and the SVB will switch to this more secure form of logging in on May 8, 2023. At a later date, Belastingdienst Toeslagen will also switch to this form of login.
I realize that this change is difficult for many people. Therefore, in the coming period I will inform users within the Netherlands via a personal letter in addition to all the communication activities that are already underway from the implementing organizations. This letter will also inform them what they need to do and how they can get help. For this they can contact the DigiD and MijnOverheid helpdesk.
It is also possible to get help through the Digitale Overheid Information Points at libraries. The letter recommends using the DigiD app. With the app, it will be possible to log in at various service providers at a higher level of reliability in the future. I do note that, as I previously reported to your Chamber, including on October 5 last, the option to log in via SMS authentication will be retained for the time being (3). This is because a large group of people still use it.
At the beginning of 2022, there were 16.5 million DigiD accounts and 11 million people were using the DigiD app (source: Access Progress Report). These numbers continued to increase during 2022.
Your Chamber was informed about this by the State Secretaries of Finance on March 31, 2022. For this, see Parliamentary Letter Increasing the Reliability of Login Means for Online Benefits and Tax Service Environment, 31066-995.
Response to questions by Member Leijten on news that DigiD's SMS check is being phased out, 2022Z09543, July 8, 2022 and Parliamentary Letter Progress Report Domain Access, 26643-914, September 26, 2022.
