May 29, 2026
Logged in, shut out
Digital Identity Management in Norway Is a Catastrophe
Norway’s ‘magic login’ works great—unless you’re the one locked out
TLDR: A University of Oslo report says Norway’s digital ID system makes daily life easy for many people but can shut vulnerable people out of banking, health care, and public services. Commenters are split between calling the whole idea creepy and dangerous, or saying it mostly works and just needs fixing fast.
Norway’s digital ID system is being dragged as both a modern miracle and a human disaster, and the comments are where the real fireworks are. The actual report from the University of Oslo says services like BankID have become the country’s all-purpose key for everyday life: banking, taxes, health care, and public services. But for people who can’t get or use that key—especially some elderly people and people with disabilities—the result can be brutal: lost access, dependence on others, and a very real feeling of being pushed out of society.
Commenters did not exactly arrive in a calm, balanced mood. One camp went full doom mode, calling digital ID itself a surveillance machine and warning that if something goes wrong, you could be the one blamed. Others widened the panic beyond Norway, pointing to France’s recent data leak and predicting the upcoming European Union digital wallet will be, in one commenter’s words, the “ultimate fiasco.” That line alone feels destined for the group chat.
But then came the pushback. One commenter basically played referee, reminding everyone the article itself says the system is both a success and a disaster: a smooth convenience for most people, but a nightmare for a vulnerable minority. Even that more measured take had drama baked in, because the core question is nasty: if a system works for almost everyone but locks out the people who need protection most, is that still a success? The comments say: fight in the replies.
Key Points
- •The article says Norway’s digital identity system is broadly successful but also has serious deficiencies.
- •Research led by Marte Eidsand Kjørven through the SODI project criticizes weak public governance of digital identity management.
- •Electronic ID solutions including BankID, Buypass, and Comfides are described as key tools for accessing banking, tax, health, and Altinn services.
- •The article identifies social exclusion, identity abuse, and insufficient legal protection as major problems in the current system.
- •It highlights that elderly people, people with disabilities, and others denied eID access can be excluded from essential digital public services.