By Gaelle Le Gars of IoT Council
EU Digital Identity ambitions: A look under the hood – weeks from the first deadline
But selling the idea to you or me, as end-users and “data subjects” is no longer the priority.
What matters to the EU right now is that the public-private supply-side ecosystem it has cultivated for years, delivers the various components of its live Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in time for December 2027, its second, and arguably more critical deadline.
In a few weeks, the EU Digital Identity Wallet is due its first real-life launch deadline. At the start of 2027, all EU countries will have at least one EUDI wallet offer live – At least, that is the plan. Yet, compared to five years ago; the public narrative for Digital Identity put out by EU institutions and countries sounds muted. The “privacy”, “convenience” or “security” appeals still feature on Europa. But selling the idea to you or me, as end-users and “data subjects” is no longer the priority.
What matters to the EU right now is that the public-private supply-side ecosystem it has cultivated for years, delivers the various components of its live Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in time for December 2027, its second, and arguably more critical deadline. From 24 Dec 2027, operators in a number of key sectors including banking, healthcare, utilities, social-security, hospitality – those who already need a proof of ID from their customers/users – as well as large online platforms–– will be required to accept EUDI wallets as an alternative to presenting one’s legal ID. In EIDAS 2.0/EUDI lingo, these private sector operators become wallet-relying parties. In real life, the DPI will likely rely on those businesses to sustain its ecosystem.
