Digital rights groups urge EU lawmakers to make the digital euro private by design
A coalition of digital rights organisations says the digital euro could reduce Europe’s dependence on foreign payment providers, but only if strong privacy safeguards are built into the system from the start.
A group of digital rights organisations has called on EU lawmakers to make privacy a core feature of the digital euro.
In an open letter dated 17 June 2026, the signatories argue that the digital euro is not only a financial policy project. They say it is also a question of fundamental rights, because digital payments create data about people’s daily lives.
The letter says Europe currently relies heavily on foreign payment companies, including Visa and Mastercard. The signatories warn that this creates privacy and sovereignty risks, especially when payment data may be subject to foreign laws.
They argue that a well-designed digital euro could offer a European digital payment option with stronger privacy protections. But they say this will only happen if the system is built with privacy safeguards in its technical architecture, not only in policy documents.
The organisations call for ‘privacy by design’ to be enforced technically. They point to tools such as encryption, zero-knowledge proofs and threshold cryptography as examples of technologies that can protect routine payments while still allowing targeted disclosure when legally necessary.
The letter also calls for clear privacy thresholds for everyday payments. If the digital euro is described as ‘cash-like’, the signatories say ordinary low-risk transactions should not allow profiling, behavioural analysis or the reconstruction of a person’s payment history.
They also urge EU institutions to publish technical documentation and source code for independent review. According to the letter, researchers, civil society and independent experts should be able to assess whether the system’s privacy guarantees work in practice.
The organisations say the right to use cash must also be preserved. They warn that the digital euro should not create pressure toward fully digital payments or make cash harder to use in practice.
The letter calls for early and meaningful involvement of the European Data Protection Supervisor in decisions affecting privacy and fundamental rights. It also asks EU institutions to engage more directly with civil society, including digital rights groups, during the development of the digital euro.
The signatories say they are not opposing the digital euro. They argue that, if designed properly, it could strengthen financial sovereignty and improve privacy protections in Europe.
The letter was signed by organisations including epicenter.works, European Digital Rights, Access Now, Bits of Freedom, Homo Digitalis, Digitalcourage and several other civil society groups.
