Through the government application "Digital Citizen", the Fan Card will now be issued, as well as the control of fans upon entering the competition venues.
This was reported today at a joint press conference held at the SME Agency by the Organization and the Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy.
As noted, now both the issuance of the Card and the checking of its validity for the purposes of controlled and safe entry to the stadiums will be done through the government application "Digital Citizen".
Speaking at the press conference, Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Nikodimos Damianou, stressed the importance of integrating the Fan Card into the "Digital Citizen" application, which is part of the broader strategy for the provision of secure digital services for citizens.
"Through the utilization of mechanisms such as CY Login and the interface with the Population Archive, as well as the implementation of additional security controls during the check, such as the dynamic one-time code (OTP) and the possibility of biometric identification, the validity of the Fan Card is ensured, as well as the identification of the card holder's details," he said, and noted that in this way any case of forgery or use of the Card by unauthorized persons is prevented.
He pointed out that the inclusion of the Fan Card in the "Digital Citizen", in combination with other Government actions, such as the new bill to combat violence in stadiums, is part of a holistic approach to creating a safe and modern sports environment.
He added that the addition of the Fan Card to the "Digital Citizen" is the first step as the Government intends to move forward with additional actions, such as the integration of tickets and their interconnection with the Fan Card.
"Technology is the means to make citizens' lives easier and the state more effective. The Digital Citizen is a useful tool that allows us to implement our commitments, steadily building a state that operates with transparency and credibility," stressed Mr. Damianou.
For his part, the President of the Greek Football Association, Yiannis Ioannou, stated at the press conference that the new software solves problems that had occurred with the old Fan Card.
"As the CMO, we believe that with the upgraded capabilities of the Card, we are further contributing to the fight against violence in stadiums. We reiterate that effectively addressing the phenomenon requires coordination and cooperation between all involved bodies," he said.
Mr. Ioannou stated that with the integration of the Fan Card into the “Digital Citizen” application, “we are moving one step further,” while explaining that from now on, both old holders who will need to renew their cards, as well as new users who will issue Fan Cards, will have to do so through the “Digital Citizen” application.
In terms of procedures, regarding issuance, Cypriot citizens over 18 years of age will be able to issue the Fan Card only through the "Digital Citizen" application, while the holder's profile will be automatically created in the CMO Registry.
The Administrator of the Filathlos Card Holders Registry, Kostas Solomou, analyzed the alternative way of issuing the Card, through the new website of the CCA fancard.cy. As he said, the issuance will be valid for three cases: first, to individuals aged 14-18, second, to foreign passport holders and visitors, and third, to holders of a Residence Permit (ARC).
It was noted that, based on the legislation, the CMO remains the responsible authority for the Creation, Storage and Management of the Central Registry of Fan Card Holders.
In relation to the control for entry to sports matches, this will be carried out for all the above categories, with the sole exception of visitors, through the Digital Citizen application, and specifically by scanning the QR code of the digital Fan Card.
In the interview, it was noted that a prerequisite for using the "Digital Citizen" application is that the citizen has an identified profile on CY Login, with two-factor authentication activated, while as mentioned, there are currently 440,000 identified CY Login profiles.
Finally, it was emphasized that for the convenience of the public, a separate section has been created for the Fan Card with instructions for issuance and use, frequently asked questions and other useful information on the website: www.digital-citizen.gov.cy.
Source: KYPE
