Attribute-based signatures and eIDAS 2.0

Digital authentication and electronic signatures are essential for reliable digital verification of identities in the digital environment. With the introduction of European Digital Identity Wallets under eIDAS 2.0, there has been a shift in the use of trust services. In this contribution, I examine whether eIDAS 2.0 facilitate the use of privacy-friendly trust services, in particular attribute-based authentication (ABA) and attribute-based signatures (ABS). ABA and ABS provide benefits such as modular identity and role-based signing, offering greater flexibility compared to traditional trust services. The analysis shows the difference between authentication and signing, revealing that eIDAS 2.0 only facilitates attribute-based authentication through the European wallets, but not yet attribute-based signatures. The article concludes by discussing the remaining legal challenges that may impede the full realization of privacy-friendly trust services.