Legislation that applies to Suomi.fi Messages

Provisions state that the production and development of Suomi.fi Messages is the task of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency ensures that the service meets the requirements laid down in law. Provisions also specify the organisations that must utilise Suomi.fi Messages in electronic communications with their clients.

On what basis does the Digital and Population Data Services Agency produce Suomi.fi Messages?

The Act on Common Administrative E-Service Support Services (Support Services Act 571/2016) contains provisions on the production and development of Suomi.fi Messages. Under the Support Services Act that the production and development of Suomi.fi Messages is the task of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The Support Services Act contains requirements concerning the processing of personal data and other data as well as the quality and security of the service, which the Digital and Population Data Services Agency must take into account when producing and developing Suomi.fi Messages. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is responsible for ensuring that Suomi.fi Messages meets the requirements laid down in the Support Services Act and other legislation.

What are the legal provisions on the functionalities of Suomi.fi Messages?

Functionalities of Suomi.fi Messages are based on legislation. Suomi.fi Messages is a messaging service referred to in the  Act on Common Administrative E-Service Support Services (Support Services Act, 571/2016) that enables an authority or another party performing a public task and a Suomi.fi Messages user to send one another electronic messages, and by utilising Messages the document can be provided electronically or by post.

Under the Support Services Act, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency maintains a register of the general consents given by Suomi.fi Messages user for the implementation of electronic notification procedure for the purpose of carrying out electronic notifications related to official activities. For more additional information on the Suomi.fi Messages register and its content, see the Suomi.fi Messages privacy statement on the Privacy page of this website. Providing general consent for the implementation of electronic notification procedure means that the individual will activate Suomi.fi Messages and start receiving messages electronically. In certain cases, you can also send messages yourself via Suomi.fi Messages. On the basis of the Support Services Act and legislation on notification procedure, a notification is sent to a Suomi.fi Messages user when a new message has arrived in the service.

Pursuant to the Support Services Act, an authority or other party performing a public task shall utilise Suomi.fi Messages to support their e-service, another other task they are responsible for or a service it provides. Organisations using the service are responsible for the content and delivery of their documents and communications on the basis of legislation that applies to them. Suomi.fi Messages enables a secure data channel for the transmission of electronic messages and the delivery of documents.

Under the Support Services Act, other support services, such as Suomi.fi e-Identification, Suomi.fi e-Authorizations and the Suomi.fi Web Service, are used in the implementation of Suomi.fi Messages. For additional information on legislation concerning these services, see Legislation section on the page of each service.

What are legal provisions on organisations that send messages?

Under the Act on Common Administrative E-Service Support Services (Support Services Act, 571/2016), different public sector organisations are either obliged or entitled to use Suomi.fi Messages in electronic communications.

Bodies that have the obligation to use Suomi.fi Messages include

• central government authorities and agencies, as well as departments and state enterprises
• municipal authorities when performing duties they are prescribed by the law
• courts and other judicial bodies.

Additionally, some public sector organisations have the right to use Suomi.fi Messages. Private sector organisations cannot utilise Suomi.fi Messages.

For more information on the obligation imposed on the public sector organisations and their rights to use the Suomi.fi services see the More information on legislation pageOpens in a new window. in the Service Management section.