In Denmark, the implementation of digital identification systems is raising concerns about their role in facilitating economic violence against women. Mary, whose name has been changed for privacy, experienced financial control and coercion during her marriage, which began in 2011. Despite a prenuptial agreement to pool finances, her husband functioned as the sole breadwinner, providing her a monthly allowance of 6,000 kroner (approximately $915) while he earned up to 4 million kroner ($610,000 in 2015).
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Mary described her husband’s behavior as controlling, often questioning her spending habits and actively discouraging her from working. This situation left her dependent on his limited financial support for herself and their two children. When her bank advisor noted unusual access to her online banking account, she discovered that her husband had logged in numerous times using NemID, Denmark's original digital ID system, without her knowledge.
This experience highlighted a troubling pattern of economic violence, where control over finances becomes a tool for domestic abuse. According to a 2026 report by Danner, a nonprofit that assists survivors of domestic violence, approximately 50% of the women in their counseling programs reported experiencing economic violence. Among these, 17% faced unauthorized debts or benefits claims made by their partners using digital IDs.
Since Denmark adopted its first digital identity system, NemID, in 2010, and subsequently the more secure MitID in 2021, residents find it almost impossible to navigate daily life without these systems. MitID, which utilizes biometric authentication and facial recognition, remains vulnerable to coercive tactics by abusive partners. Criminologist Malte Bundgaard Kolze emphasized that while the system protects against strangers, intimate partners can manipulate their victims into granting access.
Proving economic abuse is challenging, as consent is often difficult to establish. Maja Wallmeier Wolfgang, a police consultant, noted that the lack of a clear definition for economic violence complicates investigations. Despite recent funding aimed at combating intimate partner violence in Denmark, recognition of economic abuse remains insufficient within police training and practices.
Denmark has yet to criminalize economic violence explicitly, although psychological violence, which includes financial control, has been addressed since 2019. Project consultant Clara Kort Illeborg explained how abusers can exploit digital IDs to incur debts or redirect welfare payments without any direct human interaction.
Victims sometimes find themselves obligated to repay loans taken in their names without their consent. Cases of abusive partners using former partners' digital IDs to acquire unauthorized loans are not uncommon, leading to lasting financial liabilities. The existing compensation schemes do not always cover these forms of abuse.
Recent reports indicate similar issues across Europe, particularly in Sweden and Norway, where economic violence facilitated by digital ID systems has been recognized as a significant problem. In the UK, where economic abuse is officially recognized as a crime, one in six women reported experiencing it in the past year, highlighting the broader implications of this issue as European Union plans to introduce Digital Identity Wallets.
Reflecting on her experiences, Mary emphasizes that economic violence extends beyond mere financial matters; it profoundly affects one's sense of security and psychological well-being. The lessons learned in Denmark about the misuse of digital identification to perpetrate such violence may serve as critical considerations for future legislative frameworks and protections for victims.