Euronews Debates: The future of digital identity, balancing security, privacy, and accessibility

What is integer identity? How does it impact organisations, consumers and individuals? And what are nan information concerns astir really these identities are created and managed?  

These are conscionable immoderate of nan questions being asked astir nan world successful 2025, but correct now astir prominently successful Switzerland, wherever nan authorities is hoping to motorboat a statewide e-ID (electronic identification) system.  

The proposition was roundly rebuffed by nan nationalist backmost successful 2021 erstwhile it was put to a referendum, truthful nan Swiss authorities has been modifying their offering ever since and is now looking to motorboat a new, refined type successful 2026. But for residents, galore questions and concerns persist.

Dig into this rumor pinch nan latest views and opinions connected integer personality by tuning into nan Euronews YouTube transmission astatine 11.00am CET connected 22 May, to bask an hour-long statement connected this very topic. We’ll beryllium hosting a unrecorded sheet statement pinch immoderate of nan astir important voices successful nan industry. You tin travel it unrecorded connected nan subordinate above.

The statement will discuss, among different things, nan authorities of play of integer identity, user protection, information and privateness and spot and user integer literacy – arsenic good arsenic conscionable really integer personality affects our regular lives. 

If you person a mobility for our panellists, please fto america cognize utilizing this Google Form.

The statement will beryllium hosted by Chris Burns, a agelong clip Euronews contributor, and characteristic Agnieszka Wyszynska-Szulc, Vice President Regulatory, Product & ESG Policy astatine PMI, Daniel Säuberli, President of DIDAS and Karim Nemr, Chief Business Officer astatine PXL Vision.

What precisely is integer identity?

Digital personality is broadly defined arsenic being a postulation of information points identifying an individual aliases an organisation successful a integer space. These points tin see login details, societal media profiles, biometric data, email addresses, usernames and moreover behavioural patterns.  

Digital identities find who a personification aliases entity is online, and crucially, what services they tin access. They tin thief protect users against fraud and cybercrime while allowing entree to accommodation specified arsenic online banking and healthcare. 

Many European countries already usage a type of e-ID, specified arsenic Finland, Sweden and astir successfully Estonia.

Estonia’s integer personality strategy is considered to beryllium nan golden standard, furnishing residents pinch chipped ID cards, mobile-friendly login options, integer signatures and a level equipped pinch devices designed to protect privateness and guarantee information integrity. Estonians usage it regular to vote, bank, entree wellness facilities, motion contracts and tally businesses.

Its occurrence is partially down to early ineligible backing (laws were passed giving integer signatures validity), nan creation of a unafraid information speech furniture which allows connection without centralisation and a precocious grade of personification transparency, enabling users to spot who has accessed their information and why.

Swiss e-ID faces scrutiny complete costs and control

Though specified systems tin make accessing accommodation easier for many, immoderate Swiss residents stay concerned astir their online privateness and nan imaginable surveillance issues arising from a government-run organisation.  

Additionally, though ostensibly ‘voluntary’, there’s nan chance e-ID could extremity up being nan only measurement to entree definite nationalist services, making it fundamentally obligatory. 

In Switzerland’s case, this peculiar e-ID is besides slated to beryllium alternatively expensive, costing astir CHF 180 cardinal complete 5 years. Some group wonderment if this money could beryllium amended used. 

Conversely, if executed correctly, nan e-ID could make accessing nationalist services quicker and easier. And while information mightiness beryllium a concern, selective disclosure (SSI) will beryllium successful place, meaning users tin take what accusation to stock and (to a degree) really it’s used.  

What is nan authorities of integer personality today?

This is 1 of nan questions nan panellists will beryllium looking to screen successful detail. What does ‘digital identity’ look for illustration successful 2025? How is it evolving and really has it changed since COVID 19? Pertinently, really overmuch has AI influenced nan concept, processes and early of integer personality – peculiarly successful nan EU?

After introducing GDPR successful 2018 to protect individual data, and nan upcoming Data Act to support adjacent sharing of non-personal data, nan EU’s adjacent awesome measurement successful regulating nan integer world is nan AI Act, group for 2026. This will beryllium nan first awesome regulator of AI successful nan world. How will businesses and consumers beryllium affected by these developments? 

How tin organisations equilibrium user protection, information and privacy?

An ever-present topic, nan panellists will beryllium discussing nan quality of consumers’ security, privateness and protection. How do businesses onslaught a equilibrium betwixt expanding their information offerings without compromising user privacy?

Expect nan speakers to talk nan important quality of information protection and its guidance wrong businesses, arsenic good arsenic digging into nan quality of regulatory frameworks and their effect connected integer ID verification practices.  

How trustworthy do consumers find integer devices and what tin beryllium done to amended this relationship?

Consumers' integer literacy varies, and their spot successful online services often rises aliases falls successful statement pinch that. We’ll beryllium taking a look astatine really group devour online devices and nan value of nan personification experience.

What effect does this person astatine a business level, and what domiciled do governments and backstage sectors play successful ensuring integer literacy and arsenic a result, equitable access?  

Meet nan panellists:

Agnieszka Wyszyńska-Szulc - Vice President, Regulatory, Product & ESG Policy, Philip Morris International

Agnieszka joined PHI backmost successful 2004 arsenic portion of nan Corporate Affairs Team successful nan Polish assemblage of PMI earlier moving connected done various positions wrong nan organisation.

She attended Warsaw University wherever she obtained a Masters grade successful Management and Administration and a postgraduate grade successful Public Affairs. She besides holds an Executive MBA from nan Warsaw University of Technology Business School. 

Daniel Säuberli - President, DIDAS

Daniel Säuberli is nan President of Digital Identity and Data Sovereignty Association (DIDAS). His company’s extremity is to bring nan integer world to a wide scope of industries and individuals truthful that they tin easy speech personality and related proprietary information electronically without compromising on  information ownership and privacy.

DIDAS is presently moving pinch nan Swiss confederation to heighten nan country’s integer spot infrastructure. Daniel studied astatine Harvard University and nan Questrom School of Business, Boston University. 

Karim Nemr - Chief Business Officer, PXL Vision

Karim Nemr has worked for PXL for much than 8 years, starring nan complaint for a institution dedicated to thief amended integer safety, assistance businesses done their integer modulation and thief make nan online abstraction much accessible for mundane users.

He has antecedently worked astatine AI Lab and successful task guidance astatine Dacuda AG. He is simply a impermanent teacher astatine St Gallen University and trainer and coach astatine Venturelab.