A new amendment by the EU could enable the new European digital identity wallets to use zero-knowledge proofs.
Lawmakers in the European Union have decided to implement more steps to guarantee privacy in the digital identities of its citizens. The European Union (EU) launched the European Digital Identity (eID) to provide a common digital identity to all citizens, residents and businesses. But, it has received some criticism due to the uncertainty regarding its privacy policies.
The new amendments to the eID would include the standard of zero-knowledge proofs, which was recommended by the Industry, Research and Energy Committee. The latest press release stated the development and mentioned that the amendment was moved successfully by 55 votes to 8 votes, along with two abstentions.
The press release further explains the working of the new European digital identity, ‘The new eID would allow citizens to identify and authenticate themselves online (via an eID wallet) without having to resort to commercial providers, as is the case today – a practice that raised trust, security and privacy concerns. It would also give users full control of their data and let them decide what information to share and with whom.’
In a move to strengthen cybersecurity and privacy through zero-knowledge proofs, members of the European Parliament also proposed to make the new all-in-one European digital identity wallet a tool to allow for P2P interactions and for reading and verifying electronic documents. It is not mandatory to use the new eID wallet, as lawmakers in the European Union do not want those who don’t want to use the wallet to be treated differently.
Stakeholders in the European Union welcomed the move, saying that the eID wallet with zero-knowledge proofs would help streamline services by using a one-stop data identity for health services, social security benefits, and financial and other professional services.