• European Union lawmakers are planning an EU-wide digital identity wallet for access to essential services.
• The system would give citizens control over their data and the ability to decide what information to share with whom.
• Negotiations with the European Council on implementation are the next step, but experts have doubts about implementing the wallet.
European Union’s Digital ID Wallet
The European Parliament recently voted in favor of negotiating a mandate for talks with EU member states about revising the new European Digital Identity (eID) framework and creating the “European Digital Identity Wallet,” otherwise known as EUDI Wallet or EU wallet. This system would allow citizens to identify and authenticate themselves online without relying on big commercial providers like Apple, Google, Amazon or Facebook.
Goals of the eID Framework
The goal of this new eID framework is to give citizens digital access to key public services across the EU while remaining in full control of their data. It is estimated that by 2030, 80% of Europeans will be using this wallet due to its use cases that make it easier for citizens to interact with public services and administrations for authentication and verification processes both in public sectors as well as private sectors. It could also require major online platforms like Google or Facebook to offer this wallet when logging into their services.
Privacy Concerns
While there is optimism surrounding this new eID framework, there are also privacy concerns from experts who doubt its successful implementation. Citizens may not be comfortable storing important documents such as IDs, health cards and certificates in a smartphone application which could raise questions about how safe their data really is within such a platform.
Usability Is Key
In order for it to be adopted by citizens in their daily lives, usability must be taken into account when designing this service so that it offers an efficient way for people to interact with public services without compromising security or privacy issues.
Conclusion
The success of this project hinges on finding a balance between convenience and security while giving users complete control over their data that they can choose what information they want share with whom. Negotiations between the European Council on implementation are currently underway but only time will tell if it will bring about secure digital solutions for Europe’s citizens without sacrificing privacy or usability concerns