Majority wants EUDI Wallet, few meet requirements
A majority of German citizens are interested in using the planned EUDI Wallet. However, many have not activated the necessary eID on their ID card.
(Image: Pe3k/Shutterstock.com)
According to a survey by the digital association Bitkom, the majority of German citizens are interested in the EU's planned identity wallet (EUDI). Accordingly, more than half of those surveyed (54 percent) want to use the EUDI Wallet as soon as it is available from January 2, 2027. 39 percent, on the other hand, are not interested in the digital wallet, while 6 percent are undecided.
The survey also revealed that most citizens would not be able to use the digital wallet yet because the activated online function of the German identity card (eID) is required for it. According to Bitkom, only 18 percent currently have the eID activated and know their associated PIN. Another 21 percent have had the online function activated but do not know their PIN or no longer know it. With 57 percent, more than half have not yet activated the online function, and another 5 percent do not know or do not want to provide information.
"Anyone who has not activated their eID or no longer knows their PIN will be faced with closed doors on the launch day. The federal government, together with local administrations, should launch a broad activation and information campaign for the electronic identity card," commented Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst on the results. He called for the activation of the eID and the PIN reset to be as simple and digital as possible.
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EUDI, the great unknown
The most frequent use case (61 percent) for all interested parties is the ability to carry identification cards, driver's licenses, or similar cards digitally on their smartphones in the future. 57 percent of interested parties want to use it to digitally sign contracts or invoices, and just as many want to digitally prove their identity, for example, for official matters or the online opening of a bank account. 52 percent clearly prefer wallet apps from government agencies such as the federal government. These are expected to be possible from 2028 onwards.
For the survey, 1004 people aged 16 and over in Germany were interviewed by telephone; according to Bitkom, the results are representative. Just recently, another Bitkom survey had shown that a clear majority of 52 percent of the population had never heard of the digital wallet at all. For the introduction in Germany to be successful, government awareness campaigns will likely be necessary.
(axk)
