As service providers gear up to offering fully trusted services under eIDAS, Google owning its own global digital identity journey has offered localised age verification checks through its open source software library.
The eIDAS regulation has mounted a global standard for interoperability of digital trust services for legal and natural citizens, often opening a debate about whether or not Google and Apple should align their dominating user wallets with what European governments are provisioning by 2026.
Whether Google aligns or not with eIDAS’s pathway, Google has so much influence over digital identity trust that it can impart it for the benefit of other solution providers across the world and to bolster its wallet. Google has millions of users globally who can mostly enjoy the strong usability and security of their wallet, which is evolving to support states’ digital driver licences, fingerprint authentication, and expand digital ID capabilities across the UK and U.S.
Google does have a recommendation that the eIDAS 2.0 framework could “integrate privacy-enhancing technologies” including this Zero-Knowledge Proof toolkit developed by Google.
Zero-Knowledge Proof was developed in partnership with Google’s first credential partner Sparkasse, comprising of a cohort of banks. With zero-knowledge proof cryptography, the Google software is presented as a long-awaited age check standard that allows users to prove they are over 18 without having to disclose any additional personal data.
Undoubtedly the eIDAS 2.0 regulation has developed a comprehensive EU-wide framework for trust services, covering most expertise on achieving trust, data privacy and interoperability, however this solution indicates Google wants to operate their own trust standards.
The age verification service based on Google’s Credential Manager API combines the wallet and “zero-knowledge proof cryptography”.
The solution will provide one-click age assurance for apps and sites and integrate directly with Android and Chrome.
