Analyzing eID Public Acceptance and User Preferences for Current Authentication Options in Estonia

Estonia is an advanced digital society where eID is considered as part of the critical infrastructure. With the current number of e-services that the state offers to citizens and businesses, more than 2/3 of citizens regularly use eID today. We investigate the reasons that stand behind its public acceptance. We have conducted a survey among Estonian eID users with 268 respondents to find out which of the existing eID authentication methods are preferred the most (smart cards, Mobile ID, cloud-based solutions, bank links, usernames and passwords, etc.) and what are the decisive factors for these preferences. We have presented and discussed the results by interpreting the data with a set of pre-defined eID public acceptance factors. The outcomes suggest that users prioritize convenience, speed, and security as well as availability of co-existing multiple authentication methods that suit them depending on the setting and circumstances. Moreover, we explain the importance of other contributing factors specific to the case of Estonia.