Four million Poles lost access to their account. Ministry sent a message

In a violent and unexpected way, many millions of Polish citizens lost access to the Trusted Profile, which is crucial to the usage of electronic public services. This critical event violated the availability of these services for a crucial number of people, so the Ministry of Digital Affairs decided to take information and education measures to aid citizens regain access to this crucial service.

On 31 October 2023, as many as 5.5 million Trusted Profiles expired, resulting in the failure of access to this crucial digital recognition for 3.7 million users, as reported by RMF FM. Although 1.8 million people were able to update the validity of their profiles, including 800,000 of them did so on the same day, which led to crucial overloads in government systems.

The Trusted Profile, which has become a key tool for access to a wide scope of public services over the years, allowing citizens to submit trusted online signatures, has become a turning point in the field of digital transformation. Since 2020, its validity has been extended automatically, but now it is essential to renew the profile independently.

The Ministry of Digitisation takes steps to make it easier for users to set up a fresh profile over the Internet, which can be done without leaving home. simply log in to your account and choice 1 of the 2 options in the “Set up a fresh trusted profile” tab: setting up a profile by a bank or another supplier, or setting up an e-ID profile.

For those who do not have an account or have difficulty logging in, it is possible to registry on pz.gov.pl and choose the method of identity confirmation from the available options. This process is crucial to regain access to the Trusted Profile and usage public services.

In case of additional questions or problems, the Ministry of Digitisation provides support through the aid centre, which can be contacted by email at [email protected] or by telephone at +48(42)253 54 50 in working hours from Monday to Friday.

In order to confirm identity in the Trusted Profile, 1 of 4 methods can be used: electronic banking, video verification, identity card with an electronic layer or personally in institutions specified as ZUS, commune offices or taxation offices.

Thanks to the appropriate reaction of the Ministry of Digital Affairs, the process of recovering access to the Trusted Profile should be fast and simple, allowing Poles to proceed utilizing digital public services without unnecessary obstacles.

Ignacy Michałowski

OSINT investigator with experience in global journalism projects. It has been publishing materials for over 20 years for the largest releases. In social activities he engaged in various projects and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of people, especially those of mediocre communities. He was besides active in the fight for human rights. Contact: [email protected]