IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

German implementation of eIDAS will require an Apple/Google account to function

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

6 Prevailing Themes in the eIDAS debate

  1. eIDAS purpose – “EU digital identity law to make inter‑EU signatures (And authentication) work.” — whizzter
  2. Inter‑state interoperability – “eIDAS is about making the electronic IDs emitted by the different EU governments intercompatible…” — Maken
  3. Sovereignty & US‑vendor reliance – “Google, Apple, or the German government can revoke your ID at any time. You cannot purchase or sell anything without an ID.” — applfanboysbgon
  4. Technical foundation – “In the end it's mostly x509 certificates, an ETSI pADES PDF signature for example contains the signing x509 certificate…” — whizzter
  5. Exclusion of non‑major platforms – “Requiring citizens to have (buy) some device to simply prove they are who they are seems hostile and dystopian to me.” — raverbashing
  6. User agency vs. attestation – “The ability for us as users to lie to the apps is actually essential to preserving our agency.” — seba_dos1

🚀 Project Ideas

CrossEUDIWallet

Summary

  • Provides a truly open-source, cross-platform wallet that lets users store EUDI credentials without needing Apple or Google accounts, supporting Android (including GrapheneOS), iOS (via WebKit), and desktop via NFC readers.
  • Core value: user sovereignty over identity, eliminating vendor lock‑in and reducing reliance on US tech giants.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience EU citizens, privacy‑conscious users, developers building eIDAS‑compliant services
Core Feature Secure credential storage and offline verification using FIDO2/WebAuthn and hardware‑backed keys
Tech Stack React Native + Flutter, Rust backend, WebAssembly, NFC, OpenSSL, TPM/Secure Enclave APIs
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: subscription: €2/mo per user

Notes

  • HN users repeatedly complained about mandatory Google/Apple accounts; this solves that directly.
  • Potential to become the default reference implementation for national eID cadres.

FreeEUdigSign

Summary

  • An API‑first service that issues qualified electronic signatures and document‑signing certificates at near‑zero cost, leveraging existing EU member‑state PKI infrastructures to replace expensive commercial sign‑certs.
  • Core value: affordable, standardized signing for freelancers, SMEs, and public sector, removing the €80/year barrier.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience SMEs, freelancers, government agencies, legal tech platforms
Core Feature Issue EU‑compliant X.509 signing certificates via a REST API, auto‑renewal via Let’s Encrypt‑style renewable tokens
Tech Stack Python FastAPI, PostgreSQL, OpenSSL, ACME client, EU e‑Seal reference library
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: pay‑as‑you‑go: €0.01 per signed PDF

Notes- Discussion highlighted pricing opacity and high cost of signing certs; this offers a transparent, low‑cost alternative.

  • Could be integrated into existing document‑automation pipelines (e.g., DocuSign alternatives).

PocketID NFC Reader

Summary

  • A plug‑and‑play USB/NFC reader that enables any national eID card (e.g., German Personalausweis) to be used for eIDAS authentication and signing without a smartphone or Google/Apple account.
  • Core value: universal offline access for users who lack compatible phones, increasing adoption across older demographics.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Citizens with legacy ID cards, government service portals, accessible‑tech advocates
Core Feature Reads contactless smart‑card data, outputs signed attestation via open SDK
Tech Stack C++ firmware, Linux libusb, OpenSC, WebUSB, Electron desktop wrapper
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: one‑time hardware fee: €15

Notes

  • Several HN comments praised the Austrian Handysignatur model and called for similar hardware solutions in Germany.
  • Could be bundled with free open‑source wallet apps.

EUDI Marketplace & Attestation Hub

Summary

  • A decentralized marketplace where independent wallet providers can publish attestation modules, allowing services to verify device integrity without relying on Play Integrity or Apple Attestation alone.
  • Core value: competition‑driven, privacy‑preserving verification that reduces lock‑in and lets users choose open‑source attestation back‑ends.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Wallet vendors, government integrators, privacy‑focused developers
Core Feature Registry of vetted attestation plugins (e.g., GrapheneOS, LineageOS, custom TPM) with API for credential verification
Tech Stack GraphQL, IPFS for module distribution, WebExtensions, Rust for verification engine
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue-ready: revenue‑share: 5% of subscription fees

Notes- Addresses the “Play Integrity lock‑in” complaint seen in many HN threads.

  • Encourages community contributions, potentially leading to a vibrant ecosystem of attestation options.

ZeroKnowledge EUDI Verifier#Summary

  • A web service that
  • Monetization: Hobby

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