Identity management in cloud computing in conformity with European Union law? – Problems and approaches pursuant to the proposal for a regulation by the European Commission on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market

Abstract

On 4 June 2012, the EU Commission submitted a draft of a regulation on “electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market“ [EC12]2. Due to its impact onto the infrastructure of the new German identity card (nPA) it is subject to fierce criticism, particularly from Germany. This essay seeks to address that criticism and to discuss potential approaches, amongst others that of the research project „SkIDentity – Trusted Identities in the Cloud“ of the „Trusted Cloud“ programme3, whilst also addressing accompanying questions of law in the context of identity management in cloud computing.