Abstract
The rapid expansion of digital identity systems in Europe, exemplified by the European Digital Identity Wallet, has redefined the relationship between citizens, states, and private actors. While these technologies promise efficiency, interoperability, and enhanced security in digital transactions, they simultaneously raise profound legal, political, and ethical concerns. At stake are not only individual rights to privacy and data protection, but also broader questions of democratic governance, social inclusion, and the future of citizenship in an increasingly digitized society. This paper critically examines the tensions embedded in the governance of digital identity. First, it analyzes how biometric technologies and algorithmic infrastructures shape the boundaries of access to rights and services, with the potential to reinforce social inequalities and create new forms of digital exclusion. Second, it explores the role of private corporations in the management of identity data, highlighting risks of surveillance capitalism and the erosion of state accountability. Third, it situates digital identity within the context of algorithmic surveillance, where predictive and risk-based technologies challenge fundamental principles of transparency, proportionality, and due process. By combining perspectives from law, political science, and sociology, this research argues that digital identity systems cannot be reduced to technical solutions; rather, they are deeply political infrastructures that condition the exercise of rights and redefine the contours of citizenship. The paper concludes by proposing safeguards for the governance of digital identity, including stronger legal frameworks, public oversight mechanisms, and the integration of human rights impact assessments.
Presenters
Sílvia de Carvalho HomemStudent, PhD Candidate in Public Legal Sciences, Researcher at JusGov - Justice and Governance Research Centre, University of Minho Law School, Portugal
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
DIGITAL IDENTITY, PRIVACY, CITIZENSHIP, ALGORITHMIC SURVEILLANCE
