Based on my research, the claim in the post is highly inaccurate and misrepresents the EU's actual digital identity initiative.

Fact Check Analysis

Reasoning:

• The EU has introduced the EU Digital Identity Wallet under the eIDAS 2.0 regulation, not a "digital passport"¹². This is a voluntary digital identity system, not a mandatory requirement for internet access.
• The wallet is designed to provide a secure, optional way for citizens to verify their identity when accessing specific digital services (banking, government services, healthcare), but it is not required to access the internet in general³².
• The European Commission explicitly states that the wallet is "a secure and easy way for European citizens, residents and businesses to prove who they are when accessing digital services" and emphasizes user control over what data is shared².
• The wallet is voluntary: "available to any EU citizen, resident, or business who wishes to use it"⁴.
• Privacy experts reviewing the initiative have noted they do not see anything about forcing citizens to provide ID to use the internet, and that the wallet simply provides a more secure identification option⁵.
• The confusion may stem from conflating the EU Digital Identity Wallet with the Digital Product Passport (DPP), which is a separate regulation requiring sustainability information for physical products sold in the EU, not a citizen identification system⁶⁷.

Overall validity: 10%

1. The EU Digital Identity Wallet: What companies need to know | Arthur Cox LLP
2. EU Digital Identity Wallet Home - European Commission
3. Exploring Digital IDs and EU Digital Identity Wallets
4. [PDF] 9 facts about the EU Digital Identity Wallet - IDEMIA
5. EU to launch "The Wallet", forcing all citizens to provide ID when using internet - General - Privacy Guides Community
6. EU's Digital Product Passport: Advancing transparency and sustainability | data.europa.eu
7. Digital Product Passport (DPP)