Re: Utah State-Endorsed Digital Identity (SEDI) legislation

Hi Nikos,

With physical documents, governments have no control over who asks to see a
government-issued ID, and simply asking isn’t illegal. Many private actors
request ID routinely; not because there’s some explicit legal support
granting them special status.

The real issue isn’t who asks, it’s misuse. That’s a separate topic
entirely, and restricting wallets and verification through controlled or
approved apps doesn’t address it. If anything, it locks the ecosystem,
limits beneficial use, and risks negatively impacting innovation and
economic growth while favoring large incumbents.

Wallet or verifier restrictions do not solve the problem; they just
introduce new ones and risk preventing the EU from being competitive once
again. It could end up being another case of billions spent on a project
that fails to deliver, again.

Best,
Filip
https://www.linkedin.com/in/filipkolarik/


On Fri, Feb 13, 2026 at 11:10 PM NIKOLAOS FOTIOY <fotiou@aueb.gr> wrote:

>
> > No, that's government overreach into the private lives of individuals.
> > I should be able to show my government ID to anyone I choose to show
> > it to. It also works against the government because your credentials
> > become less valuable as less people can rely on them. How do you get
> > onto the verifier list? These are policy decisions that often get
> > gamed by large organizations.
>
> This is our fundamental difference in thinking. In my opinion individuals
> do not feel restricted for not be able to show their government ID, it’s
> the other way around: they do not want to show their government ID. In the
> real world there are restrictions who can ask your government ID. In my
> opinion it should be the same in the digital world.
>
> Best,
> Nikos