For digital government, trust is essential, says Estonia official

When Estonia escaped Soviet occupation and regained its independence in 1991, it took a propitious turn to the internet. In seeking to establish a new, democratic government, the northern European nation began building digital services, setting a foundation that would lead it eventually to become one of the world’s most thoroughly connected governments. Liisa-Ly Pakosta, Estonia’s minister of justice and digital affairs, told the Priorities Podcast that it was natural for the country to select “the cheapest, most effective” way to deliver digital services. Today, she said, Estonia’s digital services enjoy a high level of confidence from the public, even when the government itself does not enjoy that same level of trust. “The most important lesson learned, though, was that you can’t build a digital state without trust,” she said. “And trust is the most important thing.” Drawing on lessons from private industry, particularly the banking industry, Pakosta said, Estonia developed digital services that gave users the impression that they were in control. Moreover, the aim was always to provide those services to everyone: “People have a right to be full members of digital society, even if they don’t have a single gadget.”

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