Algerian Government Approves Draft Digital ID and Trust Services Legislation

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Biometric Update reports the government of Algeria has formally approved a draft law regulating digital identity and trust services as part of the North African country’s push toward a modernized digital economy and expanded digital trade.

A government press release says the legislation was endorsed in a cabinet meeting chaired by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The legislation lays the foundations for a legal framework to govern secure digital transactions between individuals and businesses.

Key features of the draft include formal frameworks for online transactions and trust services such as digital signatures, time stamps, electronic seals, and web authentication, as well as tighter links with Algeria’s biometric ID card system. 

The law updates the earlier 2015 legislation on electronic signatures and related services, signaling a move toward more comprehensive digital governance and security in Algeria. 

The draft legislation follows Algeria’s National Strategy for Digital Transformation, introduced earlier this year to target a “digital Algeria” by 2030, emphasizing public sector modernization and access. 

With the country’s internet penetration rate already nearing 80%, the draft legislation could help strengthen the legal and technical underpinnings of e-commerce and digital public services as the country’s society moves increasingly online.