As is the norm, the end-of-year period is a time to plan for the future to come, and reflect on the year gone by, the challenges overcome, the successes, and the road ahead.

From the perspective of the beginning of 2021, the year was a challenging one for Freja, yet one full of opportunity. For example, this is a year in which we have had unprecedented growth of people using Freja – thank you for putting your trust in us, we could not (and would not) be doing this without you.

With that said, we have many other amazing stories from 2021 to tell, and, hopefully, many more in the years to come!

Physical Identification with Freja – Leave Your Wallet at Home

Physical identification with Freja – using your digital ID card to prove your identity in the real world is how Freja transcends the barrier between the physical and digital worlds. Freja is already a recognised, state-approved electronic identity. However, we have been working hard to make Freja a legitimate replacement for physical ID cards.

We use the data you share with us during registration to create a digital ID card in the Freja mobile app. The idea is that you can then use this digital ID card to prove your identity just like you would with any other ID such as your driving licence.

Where You Can Use Freja for Physical Identification

While we have heard hundreds of awesome stories of people successfully using Freja as a physical ID in various places, those that officially accept Freja as a physical ID as of 2021 are:

These alone mean that there are over 5000 locations where you can use Freja as your ID. On top of that, Svensk Handel recommends that all stores within their organisation accept Freja as a physical ID.

Given how positively you have reacted to this feature, we recognised that we are truly onto something unique, the possibility to slowly phase out physical IDs in the form of plastic cards in favour of a modern solution.

We promise that we will be working even harder to increase the awareness and trust around the digital ID card in Freja, and to bring in even more partners who accept Freja for physical identification in 2022.

Covid Certificate in Freja – Be Responsible, Stay Healthy

When it comes to COVID-19, 2021 has been a tumultuous and divisive year. The rolling out of vaccines near the beginning of the year was seen as a light at the end of the tunnel by many, though, as we now know at the close of 2021, it would not turn out to be so. New cases, hospitalisations, and variants still pose a danger to society, and are still preventing us from returning to the much yearned for, carefree days prior to the pandemic.

Freja has been available as a login method for 1177.se for a while now. This year, however, we deepened our cooperation with the Swedish health authorities. From 1 July, Swedes could store their vaccination data in Freja in the form of a digital certificate, available from the Swedish eHealth Agency’s website covidbevis.se.

How to Use Your Covid Certificate in Freja

The certificate would be stored in Freja in the form of a digital card that could be shared either by showing the screen or allowing someone to scan the QR code to access the data. Initially, the certificate contained only vaccination data, but was soon expanded to include:

  1. Vaccination data,
  2. Any COVID-19 test data
  3. Recovery data

The advantage of having a Covid Certificate in Freja is that it could be coupled with the digital ID card to allow people to both show their Covid Certificate, and identify themselves easily and quickly with one app.

New Regulations in Sweden

In November 2021, the Swedish government mandated that all indoor events of more than 100 people require a special type of permit – a vaccination certificate which would be proof of the person’s vaccination status. Freja was updated accordingly to allow users to easily prove that they could enter events.

Additionally, the Freja QR code scanner was updated to allow everyone to be able to scan other people’s Covid Certificates for free, giving people and businesses a quick, easy, and free method of checking people coming into the premises.

Hopefully the day will soon come when we can collectively put this behind us, but until it does, Freja will be there to help in any capacity that it can.

Shared Control – Bridging the Digital Divide

The digital revolution that is happening around us is altering all aspects of everyday life. However, participating in digital society in Sweden and accessing the plethora of e-services available is nigh impossible without a valid e-ID. Unfortunately, many people with disabilities, special needs, the elderly etc. either cannot or dare not use an e-ID. This phenomenon is called ‘digital exclusion’.

Our focus and inspiration has always been you – the user, so we teamed up with PTS (the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority) to create a feature that would make electronic identities more accessible and inclusive for those who are at risk of being left behind.

The Development of Shared Control

The feature was in development for several months, with input from relevant community members. We organised several user tests with a wide range of people with disabilities, special needs, and the elderly to make sure that the feature we were creating truly hit its mark.

Not only was their insight invaluable when it comes to the development of Shared Control, but also when it comes to Freja as an overall product. We are always striving to make our service as accessible and as user-friendly as possible, so the inclusion of their voices into the development of Freja was truly invaluable.

How Shared Control Works

Through Shared Control, two people can link their Freja accounts where one person would be a trusted person (usually a caretaker, guardian, close relative, good man etc.) that assists the other by monitoring and co-approving any actions they take in Freja.

It is important to note that the person assisting cannot take any actions themselves on behalf of somebody else. They can only approve or deny the action taken by the person who needs assistance.

With Shared Control in Freja, we hope that we have given a significant number of people a useful tool they can use to confidently step into the digital world.

Freja is More Accessible than Ever

Continuing with the topic of accessibility, the barriers to getting an e-ID in Sweden extend further than the fear of fraud or disability, and stem from regulatory restrictions. Swedes living abroad and Swedes with protected identities found it very difficult if not impossible to have a valid e-ID. For a country as digital as Sweden, this yet again means being deprived of participating in digital society.

In collaboration with DIGG – the Swedish Agency for Digital Government, we have made it possible for both Swedes living abroad and Swedes with protected identities to upgrade their account to a level that is sufficient to access e-services in Sweden.

Swedes Living Abroad

If you are a Swede living abroad, it is important to establish the length of time you have spent outside of Sweden. If it has been fewer than 3 years, that means that you can register in Freja with any valid ID document. If it has been more than 3 years, then you must use your passport as you are no longer registered in the Swedish Population Register.

If you are interested in reading more about this topic, we have already written a detailed article for Swedes living abroad completing their registration in Freja.

Swedes with Protected Identities

Similarly, Swedes with protected identities can now use their passport to register a Freja account that would grant them access to e-services.

If you are a Swede with a protected identity, sensitive data such as your address will never be shared with anyone, while other data such as your email and/or personnummer is shared only when you are logging in to an e-service, and then only with your explicit consent. This means that you have full control over how and when you are sharing your data.

If you would like to read more about the topic of getting Freja if you have a protected identity, we have an article addressing that issue.

Freja in 2021 – Growing Strong

While we have covered the major developments and news from 2021, there are so many other, smaller things happening behind the scenes that listing them here in quick succession will have to suffice.

Other Updates and Improvements to Freja

We are constantly working on fixes and improvements, big and small to make Freja easier and more satisfying to use including:

  • Adding a progress bar in the UI to keep track of your status in the app
  • A visual overhaul of actions in the app for better usability
  • Several UI improvements when it comes to adding an ID to Freja
  • Adding a liveness check for extra security during registration
  • UI and security improvements to the digital ID card in Freja

Improvements to the Freja Website

The Freja website is a useful tool for people to learn about Freja and its features, as well as the place that people first check when they have a question about Freja.

Accordingly, we have made several improvements and updates to the design and content of the website so that important information is easier to find, especially when it comes to the:

  • Frequently asked questions
  • Registration guide
  • Guide for people who were unsuccessful in their registration

Communication with You

It is crucial for us to have an open channel of communication with you, so we have been improving the tools that allow us to directly notify you when there are important news in Freja. In 2021, we established a better system of emails and notifications that allows us to get in touch with you more easily and give you relevant content as soon as possible.

Furthermore, since communication is a two-way street, we naturally love hearing your experiences and feedback. During the year we sent out several surveys asking you to give us feedback.

We enjoyed it so much that have added a permanent option in the app so that you can give us your feedback directly through Freja!

Thank You for Choosing Freja – See You in 2022

More and more of you are putting your trust in Freja – we would like to offer you our sincerest thank you! Well, more than 400 thousand thank yous actually, as that is how many of you there currently are.

The number of people using Freja, performing actions, identifying themselves, using their Covid Certificate, reading our Explore articles, visiting our website is growing day by day and it is both inspiring and wonderful to see.

So, perhaps, this is the best point to leave the article off with. With a thank you and a promise to see you in a 2022 that is also inspiring and wonderful, and hopefully more carefree than 2021.

Happy new year from Freja!