Mobile electronic signatures are used by top companies to send, approve and sign documents anywhere. However, not all eSignatures are the same.
Here are the main types and the legal aspects of eSigning at EU level.
What are mobile electronic signatures?
Signing from mobile devices allows users to capture simple or advanced electronic signatures that are fully legally admissible under eIDAS. However, signing documents should not be limited to the office. Applications must go beyond specific devices and operating systems to allow users to finalize contracts on the go. They enable signing on both mobile devices—such as smartphones or tablets—and computers.
Many organizations have been seeking mobile electronic signature solutions to electronically finalize agreements using advanced electronic signatures: These solutions offer remote signing on the go, meaning the parties do not need to be in the same location to reach an agreement and can do so anywhere, anytime, and on any device. This saves them time and money.
On the other hand, there are different options for signing electronically directly from a mobile device, and there are some factors to consider to use them correctly.
Main types
Let’s now take a deep dive into the different types of eSignatures for cellphones:
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OTP Signature via SMS: This is a fast, secure, and legally valid way to sign a document online using a short code sent to the signer’s cell phone.
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Certificate-Based Signature: A signature used to sign documents using a digital certificate. It includes all the data necessary to unambiguously identify the signer.
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Biometric Signature: A handwritten signature drawn on tablets or notepads using a stylus capable of capturing a large amount of biometric data.
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Cloud-based signature: Certificates are stored on a secure server (HSM) and can be accessed from any device at any time.
Our cloud signature Viafirma Fortress stores certificates on a secure server enabling users access to perform operations on any device
Legal framework
Within the EU, Regulation (EU) nº910 / 2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council (eIDAS) is in charge of controlling eSignatures within member countries and defines them as follows:
- Simple electronic signature: This refers solely to the electronic data used by the signer to create the signature. Although it is perfectly legal and valid in court, you may need additional legal evidence because it is easy to forge.
- Advanced electronic signature: It is uniquely linked to the signer, is capable of identifying the signer, and has been created using electronic signature creation data that the signer can, with a high level of confidence, use under their sole control; it is linked to the data signed with it in such a way that any subsequent changes to that data are detectable.
- Qualified electronic signature: Generated using a qualified electronic signature creation device and based on a qualified certificate. It offers the highest possible level of security and is the only type that formally replaces a handwritten signature; that is, it is the only one that is considered equivalent. They are becoming popular due to their ease-of-use. They speed up any process that requires validation , they avoid any cost involved in printing, traveling and sending the documents plus they are supported in most countries of the world
Considering the above terms, let’s see which ones can be used on a mobile device.
Viafirma adds an extra layer of security to your agreement process
Viafirma software allow users to add legal evidence (ID picture, video, voice message, etc) to your operations, increasing the security level of your agreement process.
Our software is strictly adhered to international standards. It allows to send documents for signature, as well as tracking and monitoring the signing process in real time.
