The Federal Government has renewed its accreditation of identification app Itsme for a further three years.
More than seven million users are registered with Itsme, including 3.5 million in Belgium, who use the app to identify themselves online and confirm transactions. Itsme estimates that more than 80% of the adult population (aged 16 or over) in Belgium has an account.
The renewal of federal accreditation means Itsme will continue to be used as a means to log in to the Federal Authentication Service (FAS), the online public services portal. The majority (68%) of Belgians use Itsme for identification when using online public services, compared to 16% who use the electronic identity card and 16% who use other methods.
Founded in 2017, Itsme is owned by Belgian Mobile ID, a consortium of the four major banks and the three telecoms providers in Belgium. In 2021, the Federal Government bought a 20% stake in Itsme for €14.5 million, via the State's investment arm, Federal Holding and Investment Company (FPIM/SFPI).
Itsme recorded a profit of €1.6 million in 2023, and on average registers one million actions every day. The app is now active in 14 European countries, including the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Ireland and Italy.
In March, Estonian mobile app Smart-ID launched on the Belgian market, a competitor to Itsme which offers secure access to various everyday banking apps, government services and document management platforms.