The Ministry of Information Technology and Communications issued Decree 620 of 2020 by which it establishes the general guidelines for the use and operation of digital citizen services.

On May 2, 2020, the national government through the Ministry of Information Technology and Communications (MINTIC) issued Decree 620 of 2020 by which it establishes the general guidelines for the use and operation of digital citizen services.

The Decree, broadly speaking, established a series of conditions, requirements and guidelines, applicable to all the organizations and entities of the public force, for the implementation and adoption of digital alternatives in the execution of their public functions.

Mainly, the Decree:

1. Establishes the principles applicable to the provision of digital citizen services, based on: (i) accessibility, (ii) scalability, (iii) no-cost, (iv) free choice and portability, (v) privacy by design and by default, (vi) privacy, security, restricted circulation and (vii) usability.
2. Categorizes digital citizen services as basics (fundamental) or special.
3. Indicates the guidelines for access, provision and applicable conditions for service providers and third parties, in which it is worth emphasizing the information regarding the validity of the electronic and digital signature for access to digital citizen services.
4. Stipulates the rights and obligations applicable to MINTIC, the Articulators, providers of digital citizen service, digital authentication, and citizen folder, and the obligations of the obligated subjects.
5. Establishes the guidelines for the processing of personal data and the privacy and security conditions that must be adopted in the provision of services, within it is worth highlighting the need to carry out a privacy impact assessment and adopt privacy measures by design and by default.
6. Requires establishing electronic offices of the obligated subjects that allows to digitally complete procedures and access to public services, and adopt authentication mechanisms and registration of electronic documents.

In order to set additional guidelines regarding the execution of these measures, MINTIC must publish the Guide for digital citizen services and the Guide for access and use of digital citizen services within the next 6 months.

This Decree is highly relevant, not only for obligated subjects, but also for private partners and companies, that have developed suitable alternatives to support entities in the adoption of these guidelines, be aware of the demand that will arise in the market.