Do you look at the business license of every store you walk into? Probably not. But you have a latent expectation that the store is known to local authorities,

Do you look at the business license of every store you walk into? Probably not. But you have a latent expectation that the store is known to local authorities, who will be able to investigate a crime if that business commits one. The information in an EV is not for consumer inspection up front, it is a paper trail for investigations to follow after the fact. The optional provision of this paper trail is a signifier to the consumer that this business intends to operate responsibly. Just like going through the trouble of setting up a store front is more trustworthy than pulling a truck full of inventory up to the curb. What browsers could do better is leverage the EV info for consumers. For example, show a "report a problem with this business" button that connects the consumer with the relevant authorities and/or Better Business Bureau in the locality where that company operates. The EV supplies the legal company name and its locality of origin.