X-Road (known as X-tee in Estonia) was first launched in 2001, when Estonia was building its digital state after regaining its independence. The challenge back then was to link separate information systems efficiently, without creating a vulnerable central database. The solution was a distributed, secure data exchange platform where data stays with the owner but can be shared when needed.

In more technical terms, the X-Road is a secure data exchange layer that allows different entities, both public and private, to exchange data. Instead of storing everything in a single centralized database, each data owner keeps its data where needed, while X-Road acts as a crossroad connecting them. As a practical example, drivers wouldn’t need to carry a physical driver’s license with them, as police officers can make an operative inquiry via X-Road from the database of the Transport Administration by using driver’s identity to check the validity of the license.

It’s an enabler of the ‘Once-Only Principle’ where citizens and businesses provide data just once, which then can be reused, reducing bureaucracy and saving time while also providing data accuracy. Every exchange over this platform is encrypted, electronically signed, logged, and verifiable, making the system secure and transparent. It even enables its users to see who has retrieved or accessed their data.

Since 2018, the X-Road is only used to refer to the technology developed together by Estonia, Finland and Iceland through the Nordic Institute for Interoperability Solutions (NIIS). NIIS develops X-Road as open-source software, supporting its adoption worldwide.

Note: The Estonian X-tee is now also called X-tee in English. Both X-Road and X-tee are registered trademarks.

Further Reading

This entry was written by Christman Roos. Christman is a Senior Public Affairs Consultant at Meta Advisory / Rud Pedersen Group and a guest lecturer on eGovernance IT at the Tallinn University of Technology.