Not sure if this fits here, or if thus has been dicussed before. I have searched the forum but did not find anything.
So the EU is introducing “The Wallet”.
An app that forces all citizens of EU to identify thmeselves when using digital services.
What is your take on this? I find it very disturbing.
The video shared is 1 year old already??
Damn, not sure about all those wallets as of lately but I do guess that there are different implementations by everybody (Google, EU, Australia etc…)?
Next destination of mine! 
They do have a space for discussion that could maybe be used by people with a better english than mine to explain them why this is a bad idea? 
I’m actually positively surprised. The code is open source and they apply data minimalisation.
I don’t see anything here about forcing citizens to provide ID to use the internet. This seems like pretty tame stuff, especially in comparison to other digital ID systems. I’d much rather have this over having companies and organisations ask for photos of IDs and other important documents online.
The only problem I and it seems many have with it is with the play integrity requirement which would basically undermine things like GrapheneOS.
The only problem is that they’re relying on Play Intergrity, undermining if not others OSes but also and more importantly GrapheneOS. Because of that I’m really not sure it is truly an open project at it’s core
Was going to say the same: not only does this not seem to be mandatory, but it doesn’t even seem to be just one app. They are building their own, but basically they are developing security and privacy standards that other wallet app have to be compatible, but then you just choose your own.
I would be pissed if it stopped me from logging into Netflix via VPN since I don’t live there.
Your concern really depends on how Netflix handles this should something dystopian become reality.
I think this is mostly a positive development, it will kill the existence of bad identity verification systems were you have to proof your identity with some vague facial recognition system. The whole concept is based on the idea of IRMA where you only need to share the minimum set of required data.
But what does it mean for folks using VPNs to connect to these countries to access websites and whatnot where such verification may be necessary. How will it affect them?
Why would that impact them? There is no requirement for website to identify you. This is only fo health, banking, government etc where you already have to identify yourself but in more shitty ways.
The only real risk in this all would be enforcing more websites to identify you but we are still far from that and there is no reason that couldnt have been done today. All the wallet does is making more secure and more private identification option.
Yeah it’s the potential impact of more websites doing this. Not just the core EU citizen services you mentioned. That’s what I was implying. I should have been clearer.
We just know if this succeeds, it will be expanded and rolled out to almost literally everything. Matter of time and it’s really a when, not if.
This. I would annoyed if BBC iPlayer or Netflix implemented this to stop people from hopping over geofences!
They could technically already enforce only being able to access content from your home region, but copyright law doesn’t care where you live; it cares where you are.
This is my concern.
I mean, if it is strictly used for banking and government things that would be alright. But what is stopping EU from enforcing this onto everything on the internet.
With all the age-restriction going on as of lately for everything from social media to music streaming like Spotify, what is to say that the EU will not use this as a solution for everything online.
Step 1 - Give everyone a wallet
Step 2 - Say to use the internet you have to provide ID to prove your age
Step 3 - Say it is to protect the children
Step 4 - Use said ID to track everyone, doing everything online.
THIS is what I am concerned about.
@ph00lt0 I see you replied seeing this as a positive development. You don’t see any risks regarding the above? I mean, if you don’t then please share your thoughts, because I am really worried.
Sorry what? Age verification is a SEPERATE picture from the EU’s Digital Wallet
We are talking about the implementation that the EU did that is significantly better than some random company mumbo jumbo of “Please give us your ID, Trust us we will handle it well (we won’t)”, This is not the debate for age verification, go somewhere else for that (of course with the exception of play integrity which it has been asked to remove to maintain compatibility with things like Lineage, GrapheneOS etc. [Now granted I would agree if they really followed Attestation compatibility guide | Articles | GrapheneOS, it would be a huge win] )
Also they have already answered the concern
Dude I don’t know. That is why I ask here.
I’m simply concerned that may be used in ways we do not want.
Sorry may have freaked out a bit much with how many users I have to be careful here, but yeah I think @ph00lt0’s should give you a solid idea, with that said if you do have an objection reply to them, you asked a similar thing that ph0 has already answered from
Yes but only the front end is open source:
in its current form, the regulation gives Member States the possibility to keep the source code in the back end closed for “duly justified reasons, especially public security purposes”.
There is no single app, but each of the 27 member states has to come up with their own implementation of the eIDAS regulation by 2026.
For a deep dive into the eIDAS regulation, read this. I consider it quite positive for the most part, but in the end it will depend on the EU commission and the member states actually following the regulation in their implementation and not water it down.