In an increasingly digital society where personal data has become both a valuable asset and a critical vulnerability, Telefónica Tech takes a decisive step forward with the launch of a cutting-edge Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) solution. As Europe prepares to implement a unified digital identity framework, this new approach promises to redefine how individuals manage, share, and protect their personal information online
Telefónica Tech, the digital business unit of Telefónica, has officially announced the launch of a new solution centered on self-sovereign identity (SSI), developed to assist both private sector organizations and public administrations in adopting and integrating the emerging legal and technical framework of the European Union concerning decentralized identity management. This initiative is strategically aligned with the forthcoming implementation of the European Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet, a flagship project scheduled to become mandatory across all EU member states by the end of 2026. The EUDI Wallet represents the European Commission’s commitment to promoting a harmonized digital identity infrastructure that enhances privacy, transparency, and individual empowerment within the digital ecosystem.
The concept of Self-Sovereign Identity introduces a fundamental paradigm shift in the way personal information is controlled, transmitted, and verified in digital interactions. Under the SSI model, individuals are granted full authority over their digital identity and personal data, allowing them to decide with precision what information is shared, with whom, under what circumstances, and for how long. This is operationalized through the use of verifiable credentials, cryptographically secured digital attestations that can be stored on a user’s personal device and presented to service providers when required. These credentials may include a broad spectrum of sensitive and essential data elements such as government-issued identifiers, academic degrees, professional certifications, residency confirmations, and other legally binding attributes. By leveraging decentralized technologies and privacy-enhancing protocols, SSI not only ensures data minimization and selective disclosure but also fortifies the trust architecture between issuers, holders, and verifiers without relying on centralized databases or intermediaries.
Telefónica Tech’s sovereign identity solution is designed to facilitate the issuance, verification, and management of these verifiable credentials through a robust infrastructure that aligns with the European Union’s digital identity standards. The system enables organizations to operate as trusted credential issuers, capable of generating digital attestations in lieu of traditional documents. For instance, in a municipal context, a local government authority could issue a digital certificate of residence directly to a citizen’s smartphone, eliminating the need for static documents such as PDFs and reducing administrative overhead. The citizen, in turn, could present this credential to any requesting party with assurance of authenticity, integrity, and real-time validity. This interaction model introduces substantial efficiencies in public service delivery, identity verification processes, and digital onboarding procedures, while simultaneously reducing the risk of document forgery and unauthorized data access.
In support of this core solution, Telefónica Tech also offers a comprehensive suite of professional services aimed at facilitating the end-to-end adoption of SSI technologies within client organizations. These services encompass strategic consulting, systems integration, regulatory compliance analysis, and long-term technical support. A key component of the offering is TrustOS, Telefónica Tech’s blockchain-based trust layer, which reinforces the transparency and traceability of credential exchanges. TrustOS ensures that every issuance, update, verification, or revocation event is securely logged, allowing stakeholders to independently verify when a credential was shared, who issued it, under what authority, and whether it remains active or has been invalidated. The use of blockchain technology in this context guarantees immutability and auditability, thereby enhancing the legal reliability and operational accountability of digital identity workflows.
According to Elena Gil Lizasoain, Director of Artificial Intelligence and Data at Telefónica Tech, the objective of this solution is to empower institutions and companies to anticipate regulatory changes and ensure that their stakeholders maintain sovereign control over personal data in digital environments. She emphasizes that identity is a critical digital asset, one that must be protected across its entire lifecycle. Organizations, she argues, must implement mechanisms that facilitate the secure and transparent transfer of identity information, while strictly adhering to the principle of data minimization and limiting access to personal data only to cases where it is absolutely necessary and justified by legitimate purposes.
The deployment of self-sovereign identity frameworks offers significant benefits across a wide range of enterprise and governmental use cases. In practical terms, Telefónica Tech’s solution allows users to interact with service providers by simply scanning a QR code presented by the organization, which then triggers a request for a specific credential. The user, retaining full control of their digital wallet, may choose to disclose only the attributes required for the transaction. This capability eliminates the need to expose unnecessary personal details, thus greatly enhancing privacy and security in identity transactions.
From a business perspective, the integration of SSI solutions enables companies to access verified user data issued by trusted third parties, thereby reducing exposure to identity fraud and strengthening customer authentication protocols. Key use cases include the issuance and presentation of digital certificates related to residency, driver’s licenses, or environmental access permits such as low-emission zone credentials. Age verification is another critical application. Rather than showing a full government-issued ID, which exposes excessive personal data, a user can present a cryptographic proof confirming that they are over the legal age threshold, without disclosing their exact birth date or other identifying information. Furthermore, SSI can be used to manage secure access to private facilities, restricted environments, or critical infrastructure, as well as to combat fraud in online commerce and financial services by providing cryptographically verified identity assurances during purchase processes.