- May 24, 2022
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Bruxelles proposes a trusted and secure Digital Identity for all Europeans
The European Commission proposed on 3rd June a framework for a European Digital Identity which will be available to all EU citizens, residents, and businesses in the EU.
Citizens will be able to prove their identity and share
electronic documents from their European Digital Identity wallets with the
click of a button on their phone. They will be able to access online services
with their national digital identification, which will be recognised throughout
Europe. Very large platforms will be required to accept the use of European
Digital Identity wallets upon request of the user, for example to prove their
age. Use of the European Digital Identity wallet will always be at the choice
of the user.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for a Europe
Fit for the Digital Age, said: “The European digital identity will enable
us to do in any Member State as we do at home without any extra cost and fewer
hurdles. Be that renting a flat or opening a bank account outside of our
home country. And do this in a way that is secure and transparent. So that we
will decide how much information we wish to share about ourselves, with whom
and for what purpose. This is a unique opportunity to take us all further into
experiencing what it means to live in Europe, and to be European.”
Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton,
said: “EU citizens not only expect a high level of security but also
convenience whether they are dealing with national administrations such as to
submit a tax return or to enroll at a European university where they need
official identification. The European Digital Identity wallets offer a new
possibility for them to store and use data for all sorts of services, from
checking in at the airport to renting a car. It is about giving a choice to
consumers, a European choice. Our European companies, large and small, will
also benefit from this digital identity, they will be able to offer a wide
range of new services since the proposal offers a solution for secure and
trusted identification services.”
The European Digital Identity framework
Under the new Regulation, Member States will offer citizens
and businesses digital wallets that will be able to link their national digital
identities with proof of other personal attributes (e.g. driving licence,
diplomas, bank account). These wallets may be provided by public authorities
or by private entities, provided they are recognised by a Member State.
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. With this
solution they will have full control of the data they share.
The European Digital Identity will be:
Available to anyone who wants to use it: Any EU citizen,
resident, and business in the Union who would like to make use of the
European Digital Identity will be able to do so.
Widely useable: The European Digital Identity wallets
will be useable widely as a way either to identify users or to prove certain
personal attributes, for the purpose of access to public and private digital
services across the Union.
Users in control of their data: The European Digital
Identity wallets will enable people to choose which aspects of their identity,
data and certificates they share with third parties, and to keep track of such
sharing. User control ensures that only information that needs to be shared
will be shared.
Press release by European Commission