Concordium CTO foresees promise and peril in EU digital IDs

Nibras Stiebar-Bang believes blockchain could assist the European Union’s digital identification initiatives.

The European Union’s transfer in direction of a unified digital identification system goals to boost regional comfort and safety. Nevertheless, Concordium CTO and CPO Nibras Stiebar-Bang cautions that such efforts should steadiness improved entry with stringent privateness safeguards.

In an interview with crypto.information, Stiebar-Bang acknowledged the intent behind standardized digital IDs to ease identification verification for residents accessing companies throughout EU member states.

“It is going to carry added comfort to each residents and establishments requiring ID verification,” he stated.

Nevertheless, the blockchain professional warned that such comfort can’t undermine private information safety. “Privateness and information safety” should stay priorities, Stiebar-Bang emphasised, noting apprehensions round elevated “digital surveillance” and centralized information storage that would show alluring hacking targets.

Mitigating privateness pitfalls

In response to Stiebar-Bang, the success of digital ID methods relies upon closely on particular person nation implementations and the blockchain options they select to underpin identification administration.

He highlighted the significance of decentralized platforms with sturdy identification layers incorporating zero-knowledge proof know-how. Such cryptography permits identification verification with out exposing private particulars, granting customers management over what data they share.

EU policymakers should additionally drive understanding of those privacy-preserving capacities by way of public outreach, Stiebar-Bang suggested. Citing residents’ prevailing surveillance issues, he stated conveying how zk-proofs and decentralized methods perform can be very important for public belief.

The necessity for collaboration

Whereas the EU intends blockchain to bolster the safety and privateness of digital IDs, Stiebar-Bang cautioned that efficiently delivering on this promise requires shut trade collaboration.

“Leaders within the blockchain trade have to be concerned in these conversations and pilot initiatives,” he stated. Past consulting implementations, he suggested fostering analysis partnerships with universities to include numerous experience.

Tapping steerage from established gamers just like the EU can overcome pitfalls to understand digital IDs’ societal promise. However an inclusive, clear strategy stays important.

“If applied correctly,” Stiebar-Bang added, self-sovereign digital identification can grant residents unprecedented management over their private data – a “important milestone” in itself.