In its latest ambitious digital policy announcement, the European Union has proposed creating a framework for a “trusted and secure European e-ID” (aka digital identity) — available to all citizens, residents and businesses to make it easer to use a national digital identity to prove who they are in order to access public sector or commercial services. EIDAS was launched in 2014 but had a poor uptake and a lack of mobile support. The e-ID framework wants to incorporate digital wallets — meaning the user will be able to choose to download a wallet app to a mobile device where they can store and selectively share electronic documents that might be needed for a specific identity verification transaction, such as when opening a bank account or applying for a loan. Other functions (like e-signing) are also envisaged being supported by these e-ID digital wallets. Other examples the commission gives where it sees a harmonized e-ID coming in handy include renting a car or checking into a hotel. EU lawmakers also suggest full interoperability for authentication of national digital IDs could be helpful for citizens needing to submit a local tax declaration or enrolling in a regional university. The new European Digital Identity Wallets will enable all Europeans to access services online without having to use private identification methods or unnecessarily sharing personal data.
