ETSI Issues Initial Specifications for the EU Digital Wallet

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) proclaimed European digital identity infrastructure as being on the brink of a major transformation due to the release of its first specifications for a regional virtual ID setup. ETSI stated that 450 million EU citizens stand to benefit from the standards for the European Digital Identity Wallet program.

The digital wallet initiative ultimately intends to act as identity verification and a means of securely sharing a variety of details about a person and their qualifications. There are more than 24 specifications in ETSI’s first release for the program, and the body stated its technical groups would work on more over the next 18 months.

“Our goal is to make digital interactions across Europe as easy and trustworthy as possible,” said Nick Pope, chair of ETSI’s Electronic Signatures and trust infrastructures committee. He explained that ETSI has long expertise in electronic signatures, cybersecurity and trust data management. ETSI explained that the EU is working to simplify access to online services by enabling single sign-on in place of multiple passwords.

People will be able to store and manage official digital documents, share verified information such as diplomas or licenses, and sign documents with legally binding electronic signatures. As such, its initial batch of standards covers attestation profiles, policies for certification and so-called trust list formats. Protocols for remote signatures, proving identity and data storage are also included. The EU hopes the digital wallet system will simplify access to government services, healthcare, banking, travel and education.