Digital Identity Services in the Platform Economy

Secure electronic interactions are the backbone of an economy fit for the digital age. Proving one’s digital identity in a fast and secure way simplifies access to services and streamlines processes.

Under the framework provided by the eIDAS Regulation, the European market for digital identity services remains quite fragmented, and solutions tend to be country specific. However, this market is likely to become the new major battleground in the digital economy. The revision of the eIDAS Regulation, known as eIDAS 2.0, promises to address the shortcomings of the original legislation and the new market demands.

The eIDAS 2.0 introduces the European Digital Identity Wallet (EDIW) which will allow the online and offline identification of citizens and residents. Through this, the European Commission aims to create a framework that facilitates the widespread and secure implementation of private services in all Member States across various sectors, including healthcare, banking, and energy.

Some important questions remain, such as:

• Will the Member States allow for competition between different app providers or opt for a single, state-sanctioned digital wallet app?
• Is it enough to mandate portability or should the framework provide for the option of multihoming like the draft ITRE Report suggest?
• How will the system promote user privacy when the Commission-proposed persistent and unique identifier could allow for the tracking of users across multiple services and platforms?

Join us on Monday 24 October, from 13.30 to 15.00 CET, for the presentation of the latest Tech, Media, Telecom issue paper, titled “eIDAS 2.0: Digital Identity Services in the Platform Economy”, by Christoph Busch (CERRE Research Fellow). It will be followed by a panel discussion featuring representatives from regulatory bodies and digital industries.

This event is free and open to all, but registration is required. The event will be live-streamed on CERRE’s YouTube channel. Viewers will also have the chance to ask questions via the comment section on YouTube.

If you can’t join us live, then the event will be available to replay on the CERRE YouTube channel afterwards.