European digital identity wallets: how secure are they and what are the risks?

Many people have already heard of national digital wallets like France Identité in France, MyGov.be in Belgium, mObywatel in Poland, in Portugal or Ireland.

These services provide a sovereign national digital identity that will be implemented throughout the EU by the end of 2026, once they have been brought into compliance with the EU eIDAS 2 regulation, which aims to establish the EU’s framework for digital identity. At the close of the year, these digital identity services will materialise into a European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDIW). However, as with most digital tools, introducing them poses risks, including identity theft, digital exclusion, and foreign interference.

The EU ID wallet will allow users to identify themselves via public and private services, including commercial ones, anywhere in the European Union. For example, a French citizen will be able to interact with the German administration just as easily as a German citizen.

The primary risk for users is being forced to use an EUDIW, which is designed as a kind of digital passkey. This could exclude certain segments of the population, particularly those who cannot afford or can use this type of technology.

Another risk concerns privacy. Digital wallets could increase the amount of personal data collected without users’ knowing.

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