Digital identity management is changing in nature. Long confined to authentication on administrative portals, it is becoming an infrastructure component that private companies, banks, and service providers will need to integrate into their customer journeys. Regulation (EU) 2024/1183, adopted on April 11, 2024, requires member states to offer at least one interoperable digital identity wallet by the end of 2026. This timeline redefines the available tools and the constraints surrounding their adoption.
Selective Disclosure: What the Logic of Verified Attributes Changes
Comparisons of traditional IAM tools focus on authentication and access management. They overlook a central mechanism of the eIDAS 2.0 framework: electronic attribute attestations. The principle is simple. Instead of transmitting an entire identity document to prove a right, the user only shares the necessary attribute (an age, a degree, an address).
This logic of selective disclosure changes how verification tools are designed. An online rental service does not need to store a tenant’s full date of birth: it only needs to receive an attestation confirming that the person is of legal age. A training organization can verify a qualification level without accessing the complete transcript.
Tools that position themselves in this niche centralize their resources around identity management and the customization of shared data. To explore available solutions, one can consult the homepage of IdentiTools, which brings together different approaches to digital identity management.
Field feedback varies on the actual maturity of these mechanisms. While the regulatory framework is established, technical implementations differ from one member state to another, and interoperability remains a work in progress.
European Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet): Timeline and Obligations
The European digital identity wallet, often referred to as the EUDI Wallet, is the structuring axis of the eIDAS 2.0 regulation. Each member state must offer at least one interoperable wallet by the end of 2026. This wallet will allow for the storage and sharing of verified attributes: identity, address, permits, diplomas.
The obligation does not only concern administrations. Designated entities, including banks and certain payment service providers, will need to accept documents issued from these wallets. This transforms the digital identity of an administrative subject into a compliance and commercial onboarding infrastructure.
What the Wallet Changes for Registration Processes
A classic banking KYC process involves sending a scan of an identity document, a manual or semi-automated verification, and then archiving the document. With an EUDI wallet, the process could be reduced to receiving a signed attestation, verifiable in real-time, without the company storing the source document.
The wallet shifts the responsibility of storage to the user. The company verifies an attribute without retaining it. This change has direct implications for GDPR compliance: less stored data means a reduced risk perimeter in case of a breach.
The available data does not yet allow for measuring the actual impact on compliance costs. Effective deployment will depend on the speed of adoption by private providers and the quality of APIs made available by national wallet providers.
Passkeys and Passwordless Authentication: Where Standards Stand
Passkeys are now integrated into security frameworks as an alternative to traditional passwords. Based on asymmetric cryptography, they link a private key stored on the user’s device to a public key registered by the service. The user authenticates via local biometrics (fingerprint, facial recognition) or a PIN code, without any shared secret being transmitted over the network.
- Resistance to phishing: the private key never leaves the device, making phishing attacks ineffective on this vector
- Increasing compatibility with major browsers and operating systems, facilitating deployment without a dedicated application
- Possibility of synchronization between devices within the same ecosystem, reducing the risk of loss of access in case of device change
However, inter-ecosystem synchronization (switching from an Apple environment to an Android environment, for example) remains a documented friction point. Full interoperability of passkeys across platforms is not yet achieved.
France Identité and FranceConnect: Linking Sovereign Identity and Private Services
In France, the France Identité application allows users to create a certified digital identity from the new national identity card in bank card format. This identity can then be used to connect to services via FranceConnect or FranceConnect+, depending on the level of assurance required.
The connection between these components is not always clear to the end user. FranceConnect aggregates several identity providers (impots.gouv.fr, Ameli, La Poste), while France Identité aims for a higher level of trust, suitable for sensitive processes.
Concrete Uses and Current Limitations
Use cases are multiplying: online identity verification, simplified air travel boarding, transmission of documents without photocopying. France Identité has surpassed 5 million users.
- Proving identity during an administrative process without physically traveling
- Generating a verifiable identity document for a third party (landlord, employer) directly from the application
- Using the certified identity as a foundation for the future French EUDI wallet
The main limitation remains the material prerequisite: one must have the new European-format identity card and a compatible NFC smartphone. A portion of the population remains excluded as a result.
Digital identity in France and Europe is being built in successive layers, each adding a level of trust and granularity in data sharing. The tools that will prevail will be those that manage to combine regulatory compliance, ease of use, and effective respect for user control. The end of 2026 timeline for EUDI wallets will provide a first concrete measure of this transition.
