Executive TL;DR
- Hardware attestation is required by the EU Digital Wallet, tying digital identities to Google or Apple.
- This creates a monopoly, threatening digital sovereignty and privacy.
- Alternative solutions, such as zero-knowledge proof systems, are not being used.
The Buzz Score
The Internet’s Verdict: 70% Hyped, 30% Skeptical
Forum Voices
The EU Digital Wallet requires hardware attestation by Google or Apple, effectively tying all digital EU identities to an American duopoly. As one forum user notes:
Requiring authorized silicon (and software) isn’t even the biggest problem here. They do not use zero knowledge proof systems or blind signatures. So every time you use your device to attest you leave behind something (the attestation packet) that can be used to link the action to your device.
Another user highlights the issue of digital sovereignty:
Our civilization desperately needs a method to modify modern microelectronics after manufacturing that can be used at least in a well-equipped repair shop, and it needs it yesterday. Alternatively, just make it illegal to ship any kind of initial bootloader as part of a CPU’s/SoC’s mask ROM in any computing device that is marketed as a general-purpose one.
Impact on Digital Sovereignty
The use of hardware attestation by the EU Digital Wallet has significant implications for digital sovereignty. By tying digital identities to Google or Apple, the EU is effectively ceding control over its digital infrastructure to these companies.
Focus Keyword: Hardware Attestation
