European Parliament Passes Mandatory Digital ID: The End of Anonymous Internet in the EU
The European Parliament has adopted the revised eIDAS 2.0 regulation (335–190, 31 abstentions).
Brussels celebrates it as the world’s most advanced safeguard for children and democracy, a decisive strike against addictive algorithms, deepfakes, disinformation campaigns, foreign election interference, and unchecked Big Tech power.
What has actually been created is the largest compulsory digital identity regime ever imposed on a democratic population.
Key provisions now law:
• Every EU citizen and resident must carry a state-issued Digital Identity Wallet to access social media, video streaming, messaging apps, cloud storage, and all major online platforms.
• Identity must be re-verified every 90 days; failure results in automatic suspension.
• Children under 13 are fully banned from these services; users aged 13–17 require recurring parental consent.
• Platforms must eliminate addictive design features, gambling mechanics, deepfakes, and AI companionship services considered harmful to minors.
• Violations carry fines up to 7 % of global turnover, personal criminal liability for executives, and potential expulsion from the EU market.
The same framework is explicitly designed for seamless integration with the upcoming Digital Euro CBDC and contains provisions for rapid content removal during declared crises.
Child safety and countering disinformation are serious issues, but abolishing online anonymity for 450 million people is a disproportionate response.
Once this infrastructure exists, the list of new threats it can address will grow quickly: hate speech, tax evasion, copyright infringement, unauthorized political organizing, climate denial, vaccine hesitancy, financial transactions outside approved channels, and any future emergency deemed serious enough to justify further restrictions.
Implementation begins in 2026, with full enforcement by 2027–2028.
European Parliament Passes Mandatory Digital ID: The End of Anonymous Internet in the EU
The European Parliament has adopted the revised eIDAS 2.0 regulation (335–190, 31 abstentions).
Brussels celebrates it as the world’s most advanced safeguard for children and democracy, a decisive strike against addictive algorithms, deepfakes, disinformation campaigns, foreign election interference, and unchecked Big Tech power.
What has actually been created is the largest compulsory digital identity regime ever imposed on a democratic population.
Key provisions now law:
• Every EU citizen and resident must carry a state-issued Digital Identity Wallet to access social media, video streaming, messaging apps, cloud storage, and all major online platforms.
• Identity must be re-verified every 90 days; failure results in automatic suspension.
• Children under 13 are fully banned from these services; users aged 13–17 require recurring parental consent.
• Platforms must eliminate addictive design features, gambling mechanics, deepfakes, and AI companionship services considered harmful to minors.
• Violations carry fines up to 7 % of global turnover, personal criminal liability for executives, and potential expulsion from the EU market.
The same framework is explicitly designed for seamless integration with the upcoming Digital Euro CBDC and contains provisions for rapid content removal during declared crises.
Child safety and countering disinformation are serious issues, but abolishing online anonymity for 450 million people is a disproportionate response.
Once this infrastructure exists, the list of new threats it can address will grow quickly: hate speech, tax evasion, copyright infringement, unauthorized political organizing, climate denial, vaccine hesitancy, financial transactions outside approved channels, and any future emergency deemed serious enough to justify further restrictions.
Implementation begins in 2026, with full enforcement by 2027–2028.
English
Arabic
French
Spanish
Portuguese
Deutsch
Dutch
Italiano
Russian
Romaian
Portuguese (Brazil)
Greek