As the European Union accelerates its rollout of centralized digital identity frameworks, Mastercard is positioning itself at the heart of the transformation. Framing its role as a natural extension of its expertise in secure payments, the corporation markets its participation under the banners of “convenience” and “trust.” In reality, its influence reaches far deeper—shaping how citizens will prove their identity in both public and private life. Through its involvement in major EU-funded pilot programs like NOBID and the WE BUILD Consortium, Mastercard is actively testing scenarios where ID verification is embedded directly into transactions. By linking verified attributes such as age, residency, or student status to payment systems, the company envisions purchases doubling as identity checks—an innovation critics warn could give a private entity unprecedented control over everyday access to goods and services.

Mastercard’s ambitions extend beyond Europe’s borders, leveraging its role in international standards bodies like the FIDO Alliance, EMVCo, and the OpenWallet Foundation, as well as its certification under the UK’s Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework. It is also investing in ISO-standardized mobile driver’s licenses to unify identity systems globally. While Mastercard claims this will combat identity fraud and reduce friction, critics argue the trade-off is the centralization of personal identity within a corporate-controlled ecosystem. If the same company can both process payments and approve—or deny—identity credentials, the balance between public service and corporate control blurs. Without decentralization, transparency, and user autonomy at the core, such systems risk eroding individual freedoms under the guise of efficiency.

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SOURCE: Reclaim the Net