MEPs in the European Union have voted to embrace an international eWallet for member nations, that will allow European citizens to upload and store their personal identification documents within the new app, and allow users to access private and public services with it.
In late-December of last year The WinePress reported that the EU was funding a pilot project to offer biometric payments with digital wallets.
We are honoured and privileged to have the EU Commission´s trust in piloting and shaping the future of digital payments and digital identity in Europe.
Together with all our partners, we will make use of our experience and highly mature digital identity infrastructures in the NOBID consortium countries to deliver a successful large-scale payments-pilot of the EU Digital ID Wallet.
Tor Alvik, Project Manager of the consortium, said at the time
The EU has now officially backed these plans to launch their new digital ID. The vote was conducted on February 9th. The European Parliament provided more details in a press release:
The Industry, Research and Energy Committee adopted its position on the proposed update of the European digital identity framework (eID) by 55 votes to 8, with 2 abstentions.
The new eID would allow citizens to identify and authenticate themselves online (via a European digital identity 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 their amendments, MEPs propose to make the European Digital Identity Wallet a tool that can also read and verify electronic documents, and allow for peer-to-peer interactions. They propose measures to strengthen privacy and cybersecurity as well as to register all transactions to ensure third parties are held accountable.
Using the EU wallet will always be voluntary. MEPs also want to ensure that citizens who choose not to adopt it are not treated differently to those who do. The scheme would require each member state to notify at least one “Wallet” under a national eID scheme to make them interoperable at EU level.
The draft legislation includes provisions to securely request, obtain, store, combine and use personal identification data and electronic certificates, that can be used to authenticate online and offline and to access goods and public and private services.
With the European Digital Identity Framework, we want the EU to become the first global region with a governance framework for trusted digital identities.
The Digital Wallet will become a reliable, all-in-one identity gateway that puts citizens in full control of their own data and gives them the freedom to decide exactly what information to share, with whom, and when.
From social, financial, medical, and professional data, to contacts and much more, it will make it possible to store personal credentials within a single digital ID. Digital identity is no longer just a nice-to-have feature, but a new driver of civic engagement and social empowerment and a tool for an inclusive digital Europe.
Rapporteur Romana Jerković (S&D, HR), said
Next steps
With 57 votes to 7, with 3 abstentions, MEPs also gave their green light to enter into interinstitutional negotiations, pending formal approval during the 13-16 March plenary session.
Background
A study from the European Parliament research service highlights that since the pandemic, the provision of public and private services has been becoming increasingly digital. At the same time, entities such as banks, electronic communication service providers and utility companies, some of which are required to collect identity attributes, are acting as verified identity providers.
Existing digital wallet solutions are typically linked to payment solutions, and allow users to store and link data in a single seamless environment on their mobile phones. However, according to the Commission, this convenience comes at the cost of loss of control over personal data, while these solutions are disconnected from a verified physical identity, which makes fraud and cybersecurity threats more difficult to mitigate.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
“[It] puts citizens in full control of their own data and gives them the freedom to decide…” -NO, it puts YOU people in control of the masses and they lose yet another critical part of their freedom, with social credit score to follow, no doubt.
But the people will need to be given reasons to accept this, so expect false flags to be launched to cause a knee-jerk reaction to accept it.
Ultimately this another brick that needs to be laid for the eventual mark of the beast.
[16] And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: [17] And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. [18] Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. Revelation 13:16-18
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Leave that in Europe –
Don’t bring it to the States –
cuz that’s not the American way.