Anticipating trust in post-quantum cryptography: European digital identity context

Quantum technology is an emerging technology with projected profound implications for material science, chemistry, and optimization (Wallin et al. 2025). It is prescribed to cause significant societal disruptions, necessitating anticipatory governance to mitigate its negative societal impacts. A unique defined challenge is known as the quantum threat (Brassard 2016, Hurd 2017). This threat arises from the ability of quantum computing to break current cryptographic systems, posing risks to data security and digital infrastructure. Current efforts towards anticipatory governance lack a comprehensive understanding of how the general audience perceives the offered solution, post-quantum cryptography (PQC).

We investigate this gap through the lens of trust in PQC application. Our analysis focuses on the PQC application context of European digital identity framework as it concerns international students, querying their perceptions of the responsibility of various institutions in securing digital identities. The examination suggests that participants perceive the threats to their identity primarily through the lens of current digital framework rather than the promise and perils of future quantum computing. The findings indicate a general trust in the
security provided by societal institutions, though some participants exhibit apathy towards privacy issues. The perception of the source of threats is largely limited to peers and data controller companies, with less emphasis on states or other malicious actors.

Our findings imply that currently, quantum computing and PQC remain peripheral issues in international students' minds. Instead of focusing on specific technological fixes to technological problems, we suggest a broader view on the societal underpinnings of applications of quantum technology and the role of PQC is necessary. By exploring the interplay of audience perceptions in the technical digital infrastructure and those securing it, we can better anticipate the integration of quantum technologies into society, ensuring that security masures address both technological and social dimensions.