Lifeport is the region in the Netherlands where cutting-edge technologies provide answers to societal challenges. For example, Radboud’s iHub has developed a prototype for digital voting. Although we are not yet seeing this technology put into practice during local council elections, it is a fine example of this region’s capacity for innovation and research.
We can sort out almost everything via the internet. Yet on 16 March, we’ll still be standing in a voting booth with a red pencil when we go to vote. Can’t that be done online? “No”, say researchers at iHub, who are studying the impact of digitalisation on society. According to them, it would be unwise to organise a political election via the internet.
Testing ground of iHub
That, at least, is the conclusion reached by Bernard van Gastel’s research team. As well as his role as a lecturer in computer science at Radboud University, he is head of iLab: iHub’s experimental testing ground. Within iHub, he collaborates with scientists from various disciplines. This means that not only computer science is covered, but also philosophy, history and law.
At iHub, the team constantly examines the effects that digital solutions have on society. These days, a great many systems used by businesses, the non-profit sector and the government have been digitised. Many decisions are taken automatically, based on algorithms. And so, according to Van Gastel, you need to take a close look at how people are affected when you use this technology. How do you ensure it is safe to use, and how do you limit the growing risk of data breaches or data theft? And how do you ensure that the human element is preserved?
Voice project
Recently, at iLab, they developed a prototype for voting via the internet. This was evaluated in a pilot project involving the municipalities of Amsterdam and Groningen. The question was to what extent digital voting works in the context of online public participation, such as residents voting on a neighbourhood plan or the layout of a street. “We can then draw conclusions from this pilot regarding local or national elections,” says Van Gastel. Voting from home via a computer is not technically very complicated. However, there are risks involved.
For the project, the researchers used the IRMA app, developed by iHub in collaboration with the Privacy by Design foundation. This is an app into which you can upload details such as your address and date of birth. If an application requires this information, the IRMA app only displays what is strictly necessary. So, for example, age instead of date of birth, and place of residence instead of full address. This provides better protection of privacy. “Similar to traditional elections, online voting consists of two steps. First, voting eligibility is checked and an anonymous voting card is issued. The voter can then hand in this ballot paper at a different location and cast their vote. This enables us to guarantee the secrecy of the vote,” explains Van Gastel.
Freedom to vote due to fixed location
“The problem with elections isn’t the digital aspect, but the fact that voting doesn’t take place at a designated location,” says Van Gastel. Voting at a physical location virtually rules out the possibility of others collecting and filling in ballot papers, as identity checks are carried out. “Voting in person ensures freedom of the vote,” says Van Gastel. “And it’s easier to verify that your vote has been counted. People trust an analogue voting system more.”
Although digital voting is technically possible, Van Gastel argues against holding political elections via the internet. “The debate surrounding modern voting quickly turns to which technology is best to use, rather than the requirements that must be met for voting. We can safeguard the secrecy of the vote reasonably well, but not the freedom to vote for whoever you want. The debate should focus on how important we consider this freedom to be. The technology can then follow.”
iHub and Lifeport
At iHub, researchers therefore link societal issues to new developments – not only in cybersecurity, but also in the fields of Health and Artificial Intelligence. The projects on digitalisation in healthcare and privacy and security in medical research are two fascinating examples of this. In this way, iHub plays a key role within the Lifeport network: the innovative region specialising in Health, High Tech, Food and Energy.
Are you curious to find out what Lifeport can do for your organisation? Then visit our information page or get in touch with The Economic Board.
