June 30, 2026
EU ID or Big Tech VIP pass?
European digital ID wallets are a gift to Google and Apple
Europe wanted digital freedom, but commenters say it just handed the keys to Apple and Google
TLDR: Europe’s new digital ID wallets may rely on phone checks controlled by Google and Apple, raising fears that public services could depend on two private companies. Commenters are split between outrage over fake “digital sovereignty” and grim acceptance that governments are trapped in a two-phone world.
Europe’s shiny new digital ID wallet is supposed to help people prove who they are online and access public services. Instead, the comment section instantly turned into a full-blown sovereignty meltdown. The big complaint? These wallets may depend on security checks controlled by Google and Apple, meaning a public ID system could end up working only if two US tech giants approve your phone. For many readers, that’s not just awkward — it’s downright humiliating.
The hottest reaction came from people calling out the political contradiction. One commenter basically summed up the mood as: Europe talks a big game about “digital independence,” then builds vital systems on top of Silicon Valley. Ouch. Another jumped in to say this isn’t even a monopoly story, it’s a duopoly, because there are really only two mobile gatekeepers left after Microsoft’s phone dreams flatlined. That sparked the most pragmatic counterpoint in the thread: sure, it’s bad, but governments still have to build something now, and they’re stuck with the phone world that actually exists.
Then came the broader cynicism. One reader argued this is exactly how regulation can backfire: laws that are meant to rein in giant companies can end up locking them in even harder because smaller rivals can’t keep up. And in the middle of all the doomposting, one person casually dropped an alternative — an open-source ID tool they say is simple and anonymous — like the comments’ indie band trying to interrupt a stadium tour. Even the GrapheneOS compatibility guide got a cameo, because of course this drama now has receipts.
Key Points
- •European digital identity wallets are being rolled out for access to services and online age verification.
- •The article says some wallet implementations rely on Google Play Integrity API and Apple’s Managed Device Attestation to verify device integrity.
- •According to the article, Google Play Integrity checks for Google-licensed Android and uses the Play Store as a source of truth for app verification.
- •The article presents Android’s Hardware Attestation API as an alternative that provides hardware-based checks without enforcing Google ecosystem rules.
- •The article says implementations in countries including the Netherlands and Italy could exclude users of de-Googled operating systems such as e/OS and GrapheneOS from essential public services.