Focusing on citizens experience, X-Road is a platform that connects different public and private information systems, making life easier for the population and optimizing the bureaucracy of the European country
As in many countries, in Estonia, each public organization has its own information systems to process information relevant to the public services provided to citizens. However, there is a major difference: like an invisible highway, X-Road is an information exchange platform that enables communication between these different systems throughout the government sector. For example, the police can access data from the health system, a fiscal council, or the commercial registry (and vice versa).
This is possible thanks to the concept of interoperability, which refers to the standards, protocols, technologies, and mechanisms that allow data to flow between various systems with minimal human intervention. Thus, it enables various systems to talk to each other and share information in real-time.
After successfully implementing X-Road, Estonia decided to start sharing its experience with other countries. In 2013, in the first digitally signed international agreement in the world, Estonia and Finland initiated a formal cooperation for the development and maintenance of X-Road, which ended up having a global impact. Together, the countries developed a set of practices and guidelines to manage the cooperation and decided to publish the X-Road core source code as open source under the MIT free software license.
Since then, dozens of other countries around the world have implemented X-Road as their national data exchange layer solution, such as Japan, Mexico, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Kyrgyzstan. It has also inspired similar technologies, based on Estonia's interoperability experiences, which have been implemented in Argentina, Ukraine, and Namibia.
How X-Road Works
X-Road is based on three principles. First, data must be easily accessible by authorized users. Second, the integrity of the data must be maintained. No one can make changes to the data while it is in transit. Finally, the data must remain confidential throughout its journey, protected from access by unauthorized persons.
This is ensured by KSI Blockchain technology, another Estonian creation: any breach attempt is detected immediately. No one—not hackers, not system administrators, not even the government itself—can manipulate the data.
To access the information, one must obtain authorization and go through several levels of authentication. After receiving the right to access, it is possible to temporarily use the information, which is sent via an encrypted channel, timestamped, and digitally signed.
The system also ensures that the information circulating on X-Road is reliable. If a user requests access to information from the Fiscal Council, for example, they can be sure that it indeed came from the Fiscal Council. With X-Road, it is even possible to exchange data with members outside Estonia, as long as the databases and information systems are functioning correctly.
Today: X-Road Around the World
Currently, X-Road is a solution that goes beyond government services. It is a tool that can also transmit large data sets and conduct searches across multiple information systems simultaneously. It is being expanded as new electronic services and new platforms become available online.
Each year, over 900 million transactions are carried out on X-Road, without the need to print documents or travel. The biggest beneficiaries, of course, are the citizens. With government services operating quickly, securely, and reliably, they enjoy all the benefits of a digitized state and gain free time to spend with important people and enjoy life more.
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