On January 16th, 2023, Logius, the Dutch government organization responsible for the DigiD app, released the source code of this app to the public. The DigiD app is a widely used authentication app in the Netherlands, with over 15 million active users. The release of the source code is in line with government policy to promote transparency in government-developed software. The source code is available on Github under the EUPL license, with certain exceptions for security and privacy concerns. This release allows for greater scrutiny of the app’s security and privacy measures and enables developers to learn from and build upon the existing code.
One of the biggest apps in The Netherlands, DigiD, with 15 million active users, has been open-sourced. This is a huge milestone in the software development industry, and we’re even more excited to learn that the app is built using Microsoft technology and Xamarin.Forms.
According to Logius, the decision to open-source the DigiD app was made in line with government policy to promote transparent government. Logius works actively but in a controlled manner on the release of source code, and after a request under the Dutch Open Government Act (“Wet open Overheid”), Logius started investigating the publication of DigiD. In an open process with the requester, Logius has examined how the DigiD app can be released responsibly. The source code of the DigiD app is now published as a snapshot, a ‘picture’ of the source code at a certain point in time. In a next phase, it will be investigated whether the DigiD software that runs at Logius can also be released.
It is also important to note that Logius maintains a careful approach in publishing source code to ensure that the software continues to work safely and reliably. Transparency and security are important values of the digital government, as stated in the Work Agenda Digitization of State Secretary Van Huffelen. This also applies to software developed by the government. Publication of the source code contributes to this transparency and allows for greater scrutiny of the app’s security and privacy measures. We also believe that this move towards transparency and trust will foster more collaboration and innovation in the software development industry.
As a company that specializes in cross-platform mobile and web app development, Xablu is committed to keeping track of the developments in this area and providing updates as necessary. If you have any questions about this Open Government Act decision or about our services, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us via our contact form.
Find the source code of the DigiD app on Github!
Curious how Xablu can help your organization ?
