The European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet) will soon be introduced as an innovative solution to simplify the personal administrative affairs of citizens and residents of the European Union. This free application allows users to store their personal documents in a private digital space and easily access public and private services.
Features and Functionality of the Digital Wallet
The Digital Identity Wallet is a private space that allows users to manage important documents such as identification cards, medical certificates, university diplomas, and even flight tickets in one place. This application enables users to share their documents with private and public authorities online and offline when needed. For example, a job seeker in Germany can present their educational certificate from a Spanish university without the need to send physical documents.
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The Digital Identity Wallet is part of the eIDAS 2.0 regulations aimed at creating a unified digital market for electronic identification in the European Union. This wallet is designed to facilitate digital identification and document management, allowing users to keep all their information in a secure and private space.
Security and Privacy Challenges
However, the aggregation of such a large volume of sensitive information in a digital system carries specific security risks. According to Thomas Lohninger, executive director of a non-governmental organization focused on digital rights, "If all information is centralized, in the event of a cyberattack or technical failure, access to all information may be compromised." Meanwhile, if a user's phone is stolen or damaged, all their legal, medical, and professional information is at risk.
On the other hand, there are also concerns about user tracking and data collection. If a country implements a centralized verification system, it could create a digital footprint that allows governments or private companies to track the time and place of users' identity verification.
The privacy of information in this wallet depends on how data is stored in each country. The best option in terms of privacy is a decentralized architecture where all information is stored on a secure physical chip in the user's phone. However, if a country uses cloud versions or central servers, this could be an easy target for hackers and internal threats, severely undermining data security.
Given technological advancements, some privacy features anticipated for the digital wallet are still under development. For example, the use of "zero-knowledge proof" could allow users to prove they are over 18 without disclosing their birth date.
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