Summary:

In late December 2023, the parliamentary Committee on Rights and Freedoms announced the general provisions of the biometric identity card that will likely soon be mandated. 

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The new biometric card will be obligatory at 15 years old and optional with parent approval at 12 years old. Parliament conceded that the profession of the card holder will not be included in the data stored on the card chip, which addressed some criticism about how this information could be used against the holder. 

However, concerns remain over how biometric data will be stored and could potentially be accessed illegally or stolen. 

Approved by the Prime Minister’s office in November, the biometric identity card would be enshrined in an update to a 1993 law that mandated the national identity card (CIN) in its current form. 

Alongside consideration of a new biometric CIN, the government is working to rollout a biometric passport. Without implementation of a biometric passport, Tunisians risk restrictions on their ability to travel in the coming years as international standards for biometric passports are implemented. 

Outlook: 

The movement toward adopting biometric identity documents puts on display the tension between Tunisia’s need to modernize and the ongoing mistrust that many citizens have in their government. 

Significant skepticism remains about how the government will use the biometric data collected, potentially using it to invade the privacy of Tunisian citizens. Further concerns stem from the government’s competency to safely secure and store the data, highlighted by the recent compromise of accounts belonging to a government operated radio station. 

However, the need for modernization and greater efficiency in services, particularly government services, is essential. The streamlining of services and the elimination of certain paperwork-intensive processes tied to identity documents will limit opportunities for corruption and save citizens significant time and frustration even as it will likely come with missteps along the way. 

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