Imagine being asked the question: “Would you like a car with or without an airbag?” In today’s world, that would be a strange question, wouldn’t it? Yet, this is exactly the situation many potential customers face when switching to electronic signatures.
While standard and advanced electronic signatures are still allowed in current online transactions, there are two important reasons to always choose a qualified electronic signature for serious agreements or declarations.
First, standard electronic signatures do not provide the necessary legal certainty for important online transactions. This is evident, for example, from this ruling. Second, although advanced electronic signatures already meet strict requirements, they do not offer the assurance and convenience of qualified electronic signatures. For instance, they cannot be independently validated for quality, which could lead to unpleasant surprises in the courtroom. And by then, it’s too late.
Moreover, qualified signing is now easier and cheaper than advanced signing, as Vidua demonstrates. So, you’ll never have to decide again whether to hit the digital highway with or without airbags.