The Paypers

Estonia’s national digital identity system has been established for many years, and now that the European Commission plans to bring in a European Digital Identity in the form of a mobile app, the country is well ahead and planning further.

The system can provide interesting use cases. For example, if Facebook wants age verification, the digital wallet should be enough to prove it. Part of this plan for the European Digital Decade is to reach 100% online provision of key public services and 80% uptake of digital ID solutions. Each EU country will develop a separate digital wallet app for citizens, according to the Commission.

Estonians have had state-issued digital identities since 2002, and the country launched electronic vaccination passports in April 2021, accelerated by COVID-19. Estonia is currently seeking to tender a contract for a new mobile identification provider to replace the current mobile ID system, which may introduce biometrics to underpin the system’s security.

Though each country will maintain current national ID systems, these systems will form the basis of the European Digital Identity, and Estonia is currently drafting national positions to the proposal published by the Commission.

Estonia ahead in national digital identity race