It won't take long to carry our identity card on our cell phones. This week, police confirmed they were working on an application that would allow citizens to officially identify themselves without having to carry physical documents with them through a QR code. Digital Transformation and Public Works Minister Jose Manuel Escriva, for his part, announced on Tuesday that the government is already working…
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It won't take long to carry our identity card on our cell phones. This week, police confirmed they were working on an application that would allow citizens to officially identify themselves without having to carry physical documents with them through a QR code. For his part, Digital Transformation and Public Works Minister Jose Manuel Escriva announced on Tuesday that the government is already developing an app that can be used to verify the age of those who want to access pornographic content.
What does DNI 4.0 have to do with it? Processor Opposite Born? Both projects share the same technology: the Single European Digital Identity, which was developed in turn eIDAS2 regulation (Summary of Electronic Identity, Authentication and Trust Services). The purpose of this standard is to improve the secure digital communication of personal information in EU member states, so that interested parties do not have to keep filling out forms every time they complete a bureaucratic procedure. Brussels wants to be able to do everything from our mobile.
“The EU is a major step forward in the digital sector, protecting our democratic rights and values,” said Deputy Prime Minister Nadia Calvino, who led the agreement in November. Regulation closed while holding the European Presidency.
How does this digital identity work? Who can use it? Is it safe? Some of the questions raised by technology will change the way bureaucratic procedures are carried out.
Why a European Digital Identity?
Over the past decade, the European Union has begun to build a secure infrastructure that allows it to operate digitally. Just as many citizens have a digital wallet with credit cards, plane tickets or movie tickets on their mobile phone, in Brussels they can do the same with DNI, passport, driver's license, medical prescriptions or titles academics. Official procedures can be arranged in two clicks. The European Digital Wallet, a wallet that holds the documents associated with the European Digital Identity, is accepted in all EU countries.
What data is shared?
The uniqueness of the European Digital Wallet is that the user can decide which data they share each time. For example, if you only need to prove that you are of legal age, it is enough to show one of the DNI data (year of birth), but the rest of the document (full name, DNI number, address, etc.).
Each time data is provided through the European Digital Wallet, the data subject must select the information they wish to share. Or, if you receive a request for data, you may or may not agree to provide it.
What can be done with it?
The list of applications is long. In addition to identifying themselves, users can contract services and insurance, open bank accounts, formalize university registrations, carry out tax procedures or sign official documents. The Spanish government wants to use this technology as a mechanism to limit the age of access to pornography.
Who makes it?
Each member state operates on its own digital identity. The eIDAS Regulation provides guidelines for harmonizing these developments so that they are interoperable across countries. Furthermore, the Commission is developing a prototype of a single digital wallet based on technical specifications established by Brussels, which will be available to countries that request it.
When will the European Digital Wallet be launched?
The EIDAS2 regulation has already been approved by the European Parliament and is about to receive the green light from the Council (expected to happen later this month). Once it comes into effect, each member state will have to develop its digital certificates and documents to the extent of its possibilities. Two years are given from the approval of the regulation (2026) for the European digital wallet to become mandatory.
According to sources in the sector, the Spanish government wants to have the digital identity ready this year, ahead of that deadline. It can be used in national territory: in order to manage a digital wallet in other countries, they have to implement it. This time, on stage miDGT now allows you to carry your driving license on your mobile.
What does this have to do with porn?
The government wants to use European digital identity to introduce a certain majority certificate that was not initially envisaged in the eIDAS2 project. With this functionality active, porn content portals can establish that they will only display them to those aged 18 or over.
Is it safe?
The commission's website says the wallets will be certified “according to strict security standards.” Initially, each member state is responsible for protecting portfolios within its territory; When the system is fully operational, the EU will take care of it. The technical specifications of the wallet have been developed with a team of experts and selected the highest security standards available. Citizens can review the data extracted from their wallets and register complaints if necessary.
However, cybersecurity experts often say that only non-digitized documents are safe. An open letter signed by more than 500 European scientists and NGOs in November It warned that eIDAS2 “will not lead to adequate technical safeguards for citizens and businesses. In fact, it will result in less security for everyone. The regulations empower member states, as holders of the system's cryptographic keys, to intercept the online traffic of virtually any citizen. This would allow them to view the activity records of citizens and therefore have access to more information than they are authorized to manage.
Currently, these issues are not resolved. “Privacy in the European digital wallet is not very clear,” says Carmela Troncoso, an expert at the Federal Polytechnic University of Lausanne. “When digital wallets or specific applications become available, we can read them and say something about them,” says Juan Tapiador, professor of computer science at Carlos III University.
Who can use it?
Citizens who want can have a digital wallet. It is not mandatory. It can also be used to access private services, although large platforms (regulated by the Digital Services Act: from Amazon, Google or Instagram to Booking or Zalando) must authorize a digital wallet to authenticate their customers. In any case, payment must be made through this method, which is essential for practically all companies.
What if I don't have a cell phone or connection?
Using a European identity and digital wallet is optional. But if its use becomes popular, it will be an element of inequality for those who do not have a mobile phone (in Spain, 4% of citizens) or those who navigate the digital environment clumsily. Regional disparities can also be created. “In the best case scenario, the Commission expects 80% coverage of the digital portfolio by 2030, which is already optimistic. “This means that at least one in five will not have access to it, which will disproportionately affect those already marginalized by society,” says Ella Jakubowska, senior policy advisor at the platform. European Digital Rights.
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