Paperless nation: Estonia builds a digital society

Estonia, "the most advanced digital society in the world" according to Wired, is going completely digital. This small Baltic state with the population of 1.3 million is aiming to make the government administration completely digital in order to reduce bureaucracy, says an Associated Press report.

However, going paperless is just the first step towards Estonian digital government. As of now, you can vote, access your medical records, or carry out your banking transactions online. Citizens have constant access to their data and can always check which governmental institution accessed them, thus allowing for complete transparency and safety provided by blockchain technology.

"In an ideal world, in the case of an invisible government, when a new child is born neither of the parents would ever have to apply for anything: to get maternity leave, to get child support from the municipality, to get a kindergarten place, to put the name to the child," says Marten Kaevats, Estonia's national digital adviser. "All of those different services would be delivered automatically."

What’s ahead for this forward-thinking nation? Data Embassy, intelligent transportation, and cross-border data exchange are just a few of the ambitious plans for e-Estonia.