Belgium selects Zetes to add qualified e-signatures to MyGov wallet

The Belgian government has selected Zetes to provide the necessary infrastructure and environment for its e-signature system which it says will meet the best standards required of digital signature platforms.

As the government prepares to introduce the service on the digital government app MyGov.be, the company says in an announcement that it will host the services to generate qualified signature certificates, a service it also provides for Estonia.

The move comes within the context of Belgium’s quest to align its digital government app with requirements of the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet that emphasize user- centricity, security, interoperability, privacy and trust. Zetes says it is also providing services for the EUID to facilitate qualified digital signing.

Also, the decision by Belgium to integration electronic signatures directly into the national digital wallet architecture is in line with the EU’s eIDAS requirements which insist member states provide qualified electronic signatures accessible via digital identity wallets.

The President of People ID Business Line at Zetes, Bart Crols, said because “trust is central to a digital identity system, we are proud to contribute our expertise at this new stage in the digitalization of public services.”

The integration is expected to revolutionize public digital services, transforming the smartphone from a simple identity holder into a comprehensive legal instrument which is capable of facilitating the completion of binding contracts with the same validity as handwritten signatures.

Belgium is following in the footstep of countries like Estonia where mobile-ID has long included signing capabilities and has been a cornerstone of the country’s digital governance for over a decade, as well as Germany which is integrating e-signatures into its EUDI wallet pilots.

Moldova to allow e-signatures for 14-year-olds

In the same light, Moldova is moving to amend its digital ID legislation to make it possible for minors as young as 14 to use qualified digital signatures, which could be accessed through the MPass digital government platform.

M1 Moldova cites Internal Affairs Minister Daniella Misail-Nichitin as saying the move is part of the country’s drive to enable access to digital public services early enough when a person is issued a digital identity. The government has clarified that the e-signature access doesn’t grant full legal capacity to 14-year-olds. The development comes as the government has been integrating its national digital ID with several public and private sector services.

Increasingly, countries are becoming aware of the necessity of the functional convergence of digital public infrastructure (DPI). As seen in recent global policy frameworks, including the World Bank’s analysis of digital wallets, the future of digital identity lies not just in verification but in action. Traditional e-signature solutions have often been siloed, requiring separate and sometimes complex software and hardware that go a long way in hindering adoption.

A recent analysis by Frost and Sullivan posits that while digital signature adoption is growing, its implementation vis-à-vis trust is shifting as enterprises more and more prefer comprehensive digital trust platforms that combine e-signature, identity verification, and cryptographic assurance in one place.

This is evident as e-signatures are becoming a major digital transformation aspect of many countries as they move to simplify legally binding digital transactions that are trustworthy.

Article Topics

Belgium  |  digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  electronic-signature  |  EU Digital Identity Wallet  |  Moldova  |  MyGov.be  |  Zetes