Workshop: Digital Identity and Identification in the Era of Web 4.0 and Virtual Worlds

This workshop will explore future scenarios for online identity and identification in virtual worlds and Web 4.0, focusing on opportunities, risks, and strategies for secure digital identities.

Workshop overview

As part of the European Commission study on virtual worlds and Web 4.0, PPMI (part of Verian Group) and TNO will host an interactive online workshop on the future of digital identity and identification on 21 May 2025 at 14:00 – 16:30h CEST, bringing together policy makers, industry experts, digital innovators, researchers, and other interested stakeholders. The session will explore possible future scenarios for online identity/identification management, examining both the opportunities and risks that lie ahead. Participants will also discuss strategies to ensure robust, secure, and trustworthy digital identities/identification in the context of rapidly evolving online ecosystems.

Please note that the number of participants is limited.

Preliminary agenda

14:00 – 14:05 – Introduction

14:05 – 14:15 – Topic context

• Presentation of key trends, opportunities and uncertainties
• Why digital identity/identification matters in Web 4.0 and virtual worlds

14:15 – 15:00 – Breakout sessions

• Exploration of opportunities and risks in future identity/ identification scenarios
• Prioritisation and group insights

15:00 – 15:10 – Coffee break  

15:10 – 15:55 – Plenary discussion

• Plenary sharing of group findings
• Common and cross-cutting challenges, highlighting pressing issues

15:55 – 16:25 – Addressing risks and harnessing opportunities 

• Brainstorming strategies, possible actions, and collecting ideas

16:25 – 16:30 – Closing

More about the study

The workshop is part of a broader pilot project, ‘A Space for the Metaverse – Virtual World and the Transition to Web 4.0,’ under Action 9 of the European Commission’s strategy on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds. This initiative, carried out by PPMI (part of Verian group) and TNO for DG CNECT, aims to assess key developments in internet technologies and foster a global governance dialogue. The insights gathered from the workshop will directly inform a paper on digital identity/identification in the Web 4.0 era prepared as part of the project.