Telefónica Tech Integrates with Polygon’s Privado ID

Telefónica and Polygon Collaborate on Digital Identity

Spanish telecom giant Telefónica is now a system integrator for Polygon’s digital identity solution, Privado ID. This development comes as the European Union prepares to adopt trusted digital identity wallets across its member states. According to a September 10 announcement, Telefónica Tech, the digital business unit of Telefónica, will integrate Privado ID’s tools into its managed blockchain service, TrustOS.

Goals of the Collaboration

The collaboration aims to develop proofs-of-concept for various digital identity use cases, including:

• Age verification
• Digital national identities
• E-signature solutions
• Content certification

Through this partnership, users will be able to automatically issue accreditations—such as training diplomas, academic qualifications, or attendance certificates—as verifiable credentials, which can be loaded into digital wallets.

Impact of the European Digital Identity Regulation

This initiative aligns with the European Digital Identity Regulation, a framework proposed by the European Union to provide a digital and universally recognized identity for accessing public services and conducting transactions. The European Commission is expected to establish technical standards, specifications, and procedures by November 21, 2024. This includes setting security, interoperability, and certification standards for digital wallets.

Following the issuance of these standards, EU member states will have 24 months to offer these digital wallets to their citizens. The regulation aims to allow EU citizens to prove their identity online, share digital documents, or verify specific attributes like age without disclosing their full identity or other personal details.

Technology Behind Privado ID

Privado ID relies on zero-knowledge cryptography, a technology that allows one party to prove to another that they know certain information without revealing the actual data itself. For example, in the European digital ID wallet, this technology could enable age or citizenship verification without exposing more personal data than necessary.

Implications and Future Outlook

The regulation aims to establish a more secure and standardized framework for electronic identification and trust services across Europe. This makes it crucial for businesses and individuals to adopt compliant and innovative identity solutions. Polygon has recently spun off its digital ID service and has conducted proofs-of-concept with multinational banks and financial institutions, including Deutsche Bank and Consensys.

The integration of Polygon’s Privado ID into Telefónica’s TrustOS service represents a significant step forward in the adoption of digital identity solutions and sets a precedent for how businesses can align with evolving regulatory frameworks in Europe.