The EWC pilot will focus on the use of the EU Digital Identity Wallet in the context of travel – such as providing passenger information, buying goods and services, and trusted business to business interactions.

The EU Digital Identity Wallet Consortium (EWC) has been selected by the European Commission to run one of the Large Scale Pilots for the new EU Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI) ecosystem. Avast sits on the Executive Team of the consortium, having been closely involved in its formation. This is a significant milestone for the EWC, which is led by the Swedish and Finnish governments and supported by over 50 organizations, including governments, industry experts, and technology partners.

The EUDI Wallet is a part of the proposed eIDAS 2.0 regulation, which will provide all European citizens with access to a trusted digital identity provided by their government and accepted by all EU Member States and EFTA. This is a major step forward in empowering individuals to take control of their online identities and personal information.

"With digital wallets becoming mainstream, the EUDI Wallet will be transformational for European citizens,” Andrew Tobin, Commercial Director for Europe at Avast and executive team member at the EWC, says.

“It will allow them to prove securely and privately who they are online and take control over the release of their personal information.”

The EWC pilot will focus on the use of the EU Digital Identity Wallet in the context of travel – such as providing passenger information, buying goods and services, and trusted business to business interactions. By demonstrating the power of digital wallets for travel, the EWC hopes to transfer these learnings to other types of eCommerce, such as online shopping.

The pilot will focus on situations that are central to people's online lives and will identify barriers and enablers to the adoption and scaling of the EUDI wallet. The pilot scenarios will be evaluated and tested by end-users across Europe to optimize the user experience.

"eCommerce is the next largest use of the internet after social media and messaging. By demonstrating the power of digital wallets for travel, we will be able to transfer these learnings to other types of eCommerce such as online shopping,” Tobin says. “Avast is proud to be a part of this crucial step to powering digital freedom across the globe to help people live their digital lives safely, privately, and confidently today and in the future.”

The EWC will start running its pilot early next year. Keep an eye on the EWC website for updates and a complete list of all participants in the EWC.