Wednesday, December 15, 2021
Every EU country must offer a digital ID wallet by December 24, 2026, but most will be late, while the US keeps digital IDs optional and bars a CBDC through 2030.
Europe is six weeks from a digital ID deadline. Under the eIDAS 2.0 rules, every EU member state must offer citizens at least one free digital identity wallet by December 24, 2026. The wallet is a phone app that holds a national ID, a driver's license and other official documents. Public agencies must accept it once it launches. Banks and other regulated businesses must accept it by late 2027.
Most countries will be late. Euronews reported in September that 24 of the 27 member states will miss the date. Only three had delivered certified wallets at the time. The EU's longer goal is for 80 percent of citizens to use a digital ID by 2030. Digital rights group EDRi has raised concerns about draft rules that could require facial recognition.
The United States is on a different path. There is no national digital ID here. Instead, a growing number of states offer mobile driver's licenses on smartphones. TSA now accepts state digital IDs at more than 250 airport checkpoints. These apps are optional, and the physical card still works. Digital money is moving the other way. A law that took effect in July bars the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) until the end of 2030.
For preppers, the lesson is resilience, not panic. A phone ID is only as good as the phone and its battery. Keep your physical license, passport and key documents in a waterproof folder you can grab fast. Hold some cash in a crisis fund, since card readers fail when the power does. Every new digital record is also a new target, so review our steps on identity theft protection. For the wider picture of data and tracking, read our guide to the surveillance state. Our tips on avoiding online tracking cover the phone side.
Where it stands now: the EU deadline is December 24, and most countries will launch late or in stages. In the United States, digital IDs remain optional and a CBDC is barred until the end of 2030. This week, check that your physical ID and passport are current and stored with your go bag documents. Be Prepared Not Scared!
