Kontaktstandarden

Kontaktstandarden is a term used in Nordic contexts to describe a standardized approach for managing and exchanging contact information between individuals, organizations and public sector bodies. It is not a single universal standard, but a family of guidelines and specifications aimed at ensuring interoperability, consistency, and privacy in contact management and communications.

Core elements typically include a data model for contact details such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, organization affiliation, role, and preferred communication channels; metadata for consent and privacy rules; and rules for versioning, validation, and identity linkage. The standard often allows alignment with existing formats such as vCard, JSON-LD or XML, and prescribes APIs or forms for creating, updating and retrieving contact records.

Adoption is usually driven by government digitalisation programs, standards bodies or industry groups. It aims to enable citizens to be contacted consistently across services and to enable agencies to reach the right persons with minimal data collection. Privacy and data protection considerations are central, with requirements for consent, data minimization, purpose limitation, and auditability, in line with GDPR and national laws.

Practical challenges include legacy systems, data quality, and alignment across sectors. Critics point to potential fragmentation if multiple jurisdictions publish different variants. Proponents argue that a common kontaktstandarden increases interoperability, reduces duplication, and improves user experience in public services and business communications.

Related concepts include international contact data standards such as vCard, privacy and identity standards, and broader e-government interoperability initiatives. In Nordic contexts, kontaktstandarden often aligns with digital government strategy and citizen-centric service design.