85% of Russians have heard of the idea to introduce e-passports but most of respondents are not ready to use them and point to various vulnerabilities.
MOSCOW, July 29, 2019. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a survey devoted to the e-passport initiative.
An overwhelming majority of respondents (85%) have heard about the proposal to introduce e-passports for the Russian citizens. However 59% of Russians would refuse to have e-passport, unlike 31% of those who support the idea – they are basically men (36%) and young persons aged 18-24 (41%).
One of the main advantages of e-passports is its universal character, as it contains all necessary data (11%). A further 8% point to durability; the same share of respondents say e-passport would be hard to lose and it has a small size; 7% appreciate its practical character.
Unreliability is the main disadvantage of e-passports (22%). Eight percent are afraid of possible operational failures. Four percent point to possible leak of data and loss of passport itself. Three percent say that not all Russians will be able to use the electronic document.
The most useful options of e-passports are banking (71%); a single document for different papers (passport, social security, driving license, etc.) (69%); signature and submission of documents to state bodies without personal visit (68%); and voting in the elections (62%).
The least useful functions are registration as private entrepreneur/opening a limited liability company (47%); signing electronic agreements (52%), and electronic notarization (53%).
VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on July 25, 2019. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Do you know, have you heard, do you hear for the first time about the proposal to introduce electronic passports for the Russian citizens to replace the paper ones? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |
I am well aware | 21 |
I heard something but I do no know any details | 64 |
I hear about it for the first time | 15 |
Would you like to have an e-passport, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | |||
| Total | Men | Women |
Yes | 31 | 36 | 28 |
No | 59 | 54 | 63 |
Don’t know | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Would you like to have an e-passport, or not? (closed-ended question, one answer, %) | ||||||
| Total | Aged 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60 and over |
Yes | 31 | 41 | 39 | 39 | 27 | 22 |
No | 59 | 56 | 54 | 49 | 62 | 67 |
Don’t know | 10 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
If you were to choose: to get an e-passport (instead of the paper one) or to keep your paper passport refusing to use the e-passport, what would you do? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |
I would obtain an e-passport (instead of the paper one) | 25 |
I would keep the paper passport refusing to use e-passport | 69 |
Don't know | 6 |
In your opinion, what advantages does the e-passport have compared to the paper passport? (open-ended question , up to 3 answers, %) | |
| Total |
More information/all data, documents / all in one /you need to carry fewer documents | 11 |
Durability / hard to spoil / hard-wearing / it cannot get dirty / get wet | 8 |
You cannot lose it / no one will steal it / no fear to lose it | 8 |
Small size /less space / mobility | 8 |
Easy to use, practical | 7 |
You do not need to carry it/you do not need to carry the paper passport | 5 |
More difficult to fake it / well protected / confidentiality | 5 |
Faster and easier service /easier to use | 4 |
Easier to reissue it if you lose it | 2 |
It is modern | 2 |
It is always with you | 2 |
Database / all on the Internet / e-information | 2 |
You can use it everywhere /you always have access / access to state services | 2 |
Less paperwork / bureaucracy | 1 |
New technologies | 1 |
Functionality | 1 |
Easy to control / identify a person | 1 |
No advantages / the paper version is better | 17 |
Other | 1 |
Don't know | 40 |
And what disadvantages does the e-passport have compared to the paper passport? (open-ended question, up to 3 answers, %) | |
| Total |
Data protection / unreliable / vulnerable to hackers/ fraudulent activities | 22 |
System failures / database errors / unreliable e-system | 8 |
Data available for third parties / access to personal data | 4 |
Easier to lose it | 4 |
Scanning devices might be lacking / poor infrastructure | 3 |
Not everyone can use it /hard to use by the elderly / not clear how to use it | 3 |
Surveillance /state control | 2 |
You cannot access it without the Internet / electricity | 2 |
Unusual / not clear | 2 |
Expensive / money from state budget / corruption | 1 |
It contains more information / all documents in one | 1 |
Easier to be faked | 1 |
It takes more time to get it /to reissue it | 1 |
You can break it | 1 |
I do not trust it | 1 |
You cannot control it / you do not possess it | 1 |
Electronic / online data | 1 |
No disadvantages | 7 |
Other | 2 |
Don’t know | 43 |
Would the following options of e-passport be useful or useless for you? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | |||
| Useful option | Useless option | Don’t know |
Keeping several documents as a single (passport, social security, driving license, INN, work record book, etc.) | 69 | 22 | 9 |
Signing and submitting the documents to state bodies without visiting it | 68 | 23 | 9 |
Electronic notarization | 53 | 29 | 18 |
Signing electronic agreements with organizations | 52 | 33 | 15 |
Registration as a private entrepreneur, opening a limited liability company | 47 | 34 | 19 |
Bank card function: paying services, receiving salary / pension/ benefits , etc. | 71 | 22 | 7 |
Voting in elections | 62 | 31 | 7 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory.