The European Union (EU) is taking another step towards electronic identification. MEPs wish to establish, in order to “all EU citizens, residents and businesses » and ” european digital identity wallet which would allow them to store all sorts of information, including medical information, on their smartphones. A similar approach is causing controversy in Canada, where two states have formally opposed a digital identity project.
Electronic identity in Europe has been governed since 2014 by the eIDAS regulation. The European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) proposed a reform in June 2021 and the Council formalized its common position in December 2022.
The ITRE approved this reform project in a vote that took place on February 09, 2023. Its members expressed 55 votes in favor against eight votes against while two abstentions were announced by the EU in a press release.
This vote does not mean the entry into force of the amendments, but gives the green light for interinstitutional negotiations within the EU on the draft law, pending its formal approval in March in plenary session.
In its press release, the European Parliament recalls that digital identity services are currently offered by third parties. The use of these commercial suppliers “, such as banks or private operators, to establish its digital identity is ” worrying » et « raises data security and privacy concerns ».
MEPs believe that the solutions of these third-party providers are ” disconnected from physical identity “and share their electronic data with them” compromises the control of his personal data and accentuates the threats of fraud”.
“Social, financial, medical data and more”
The new text would thus offer give users full control over their data and allow them to decide what information to share and with whom ” do it. EU citizens will then be able to identify and authenticate online without having to resort to commercial providers ».
What is it, concretely? Several services will be integrated into this European portfolio, which would not be limited solely to storing identity information (surname, first name, age, etc.). This wallet « could read and verify electronic documents “thanks to tools” essential for building trust such as electronic signature, stamp, seal, ID card and web authentication certificate.
The wallet could also store other documents such as the driver’s license or allow you to open a bank account, file your tax return, enroll in a university, rent a car, a hotel room or keep a medical prescription.
MEPs plan to oblige each Member State to establish within 24 months of the adoption of the text a portfolio model in order to make it interoperable within the European Union. Such a procedure requires, as the bill provides, to ” securely request, obtain, store, combine and use personal identification data and electronic certificates ” citizens. The latter, we promise, would be free to adopt this portfolio or not.
The information of each document introduced in this wallet could thus be collected. Croatian MEP Romana Jerković, a member of the Social Democratic Party of Croatia, confirms this by stating that this wallet could incorporate social, financial, medical, professional data and much more. It will store personal information in a single digital ID ».
In Canada, Alberta and Saskatchewan say no
This is also the reason why two Canadian states firmly rejected an identical project under the Canada Health Transfer.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government was prepared to invest $196.1 billion in health care over the next decade, including $46.2 billion in new spending in addition to funds already provided. In return, Provinces must commit to improving the way health data is collected, shared, used and communicated.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe was the first to raise his voice.
« The Government of Saskatchewan will not create a digital identity or accept any requirements in relation to health care funding for the creation of a digital identity “, we read in a press release.
Scott Moe says his government ” will not share any personal health information with the federal government “, since, he recalls, “ this information is and will remain protected under the Health Information Privacy Act “. In his view, such an approach amounts to “Abandon and weaken the right to privacy in health”.
It is Danielle Smith, Premier of the State of Alberta, who expresses her agreement with her counterpart by affirming her intention to protect the private medical information of her fellow citizens. ” I will ensure that agreements with the federal government do not provide for the sharing of this personal information with the federal government or with any third party “, she wrote on Twitter.
I agree and stand firmly with @PremierScottMoe in protecting Albertans’ private health information. I will ensure that any agreements with the Federal Government do NOT include the sharing of any such personal information with the Feds or third party. #cdnpoli #appoli pic.twitter.com/PfXXboyflo
— Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) February 10, 2023
In Canada, the project of a digital identity raises concerns. ” It starts with validating his identity for government services and then projects start using the data as is the case in Quebec, where the Alcohol or Cannabis Society uses this information. “, recalled Sébastien Gambs, professor in the computer science department of UQAM, interviewed in “ Le Café show », a radio program from Radio Canada.
This professor believes that the establishment of a digital identity must be the subject of a debate in society.
« Overall, there are several different ways to implement digital identity. They can be respectful of private life or, on the contrary, they can create a kind of “mini-Big Brother” (…) We need to have a debate at the level of society. What form will digital identity take? What are we going to want to validate, what data are collected, will they be centralized in a database managed by the government or by an external company? asks Sébastien Gambs.
La Poste was the first French company to launch a digital identity in January 2020 that complies with the European eIDAS regulation. A public service, France digital identity, has been in beta since May 2022.
According to the Thales group, 85% of French people are ” ready to use the European digital identity wallet “. The fears raised by Sébastien Gambs at Radio Canada were nevertheless expressed by French people at the beginning of the current month, when the Minister Delegate in charge of Digital Jean-Noël Barrot announced that France will impose an age verification tool to block minors from accessing pornographic sites.
He said in an interview with Parisianone ” certificate of majority will be introduced in September 2023. Many Internet users have expressed concerns that this attestation will be used for other purposes, such as blocking access to other sites. Reactions renewed with this European digital identity project, which recalls, for some, the health pass during the COVID pandemic.