On December 1st, 2021, Facebook user Natia Colussi published a post concerning the digital identification card (ID), claiming that the eID will combine all types of cards, including health certificates and banking. Colussi further claimed that various online platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Google will be linked to the so-called eID so that a person can longer go online without possessing the card. The author of the post compares the innovative system to a guillotine, noting that in case of writing a bad comment, the owner of the digital “eID” may encounter problems since all platforms will be directly connected to the digital ID.
The information disseminated by Natia Colussi about the EU initiative on digital wallets is false and creates the impression that the innovation poses a threat to society. In fact, a digital wallet will not replace a national identity card, as it will only simplify bureaucratic procedures. In addition, the use of digital wallets will be voluntary, and the card itself will not be linked to social networks, will not be necessary for online presence, and in case of using it, the user will be able to control their personal information.
- What is the European Digital Identity Wallet?
The European Digital Identity Wallet is a personalized wallet that allows citizens to identify themselves and store and manage personal information and official documents. The European Commission introduced a digital wallet plan to facilitate travel between EU member states in June this year. According to official sources, the European digital identification wallet can be used for receiving public services, opening bank accounts, confirming age, renting a car, submitting documents to the university, etc. Notably, the digital wallet will not replace the national identity card, it will only simplify bureaucratic processes.
The website of the European Commission states that the European digital identification wallet will be a matter of choice and it will not be mandatory. One of the main principles of this plan is to enable users to control their personal information and decide which information to share with whom and for what purpose.
- Interconnection between Social Networks and Digital Wallets
According to the official website, the eID users will have access to services such as tax returns, convictions, pensions, driving licenses, residence information management, university registration and access to social services. The list of features does not include the connection between online platforms (Google, Auto, YouTube, etc.) and digital wallets. Moreover, in a speech in September 2020, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that “[e]very time an App or website asks us to create a new digital identity or to easily log on via a big platform, we have no idea what happens to our data in reality.” Von der Leyen sees the eID as the potential solution to the problem. Accordingly, one can argue that social media accounts and other online platforms will not be “linked” to the digital wallet, but, according to the President of the European Commission, the eID will serve as a security mechanism in terms of storage and management of personal data by large platforms. Noteworthy, at the request of the user of the digital wallet, it will be possible to use the eID with large platforms like Amazon and Google, for example, to confirm the age. Hence, the claim that the user’s electronic wallet will be “linked” to one’s social media accounts, thus holding the person accountable for “bad comments” is not true.
Natia Colussi has been regularly spreading conspiracy theories and disinformation about the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, new world order and etc. For more information, see the articles of “Myth Detector:”
- Who is Natia Colussi, and how is she linked with “Cancel Cancel Mafia for Georgia”?
- Georgian Blogger Natia Colussi Shares Manipulative Statistics regarding the COVID-related Deaths
- Natia Colussi spreads a Conspiracy Theory about Vision 2050 and the Paris Agreement
- Censorship or Disinformation? Why did YouTube Suspend the Channel of Australian “Sky News?”
- Are the “Global Marshall Plan”, Fourth Industrial Revolution and Population Stabilisation Plan Connected to the COVID-19 Pandemic?
- The Real Reasons Behind Climate Change: Revisiting the Old and New Conspiracies
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