Only four e-signature services are recommended after review

After the review, XBRL Sweden chose to recommend only four of 24 electronic signature services when documents are signed with an advanced electronic signature. In order to be recommended by the association, it must be possible to verify the signature directly with the support of the standard software.

An advanced electronic signature is a type of signature required by law when signing annual reports, council minutes, and applications for membership in tenant-owner associations.

It’s good news that XBRL Sweden has now conducted a review and identified the purpose of eIDAS, which is the name of the EU regulation governing electronic signatures. It should, of course, be to validate signatures in a simple and automated way. Otherwise, it would be unsustainable for authorities and courts to be able to approve an electronic signature, says Martin Tholen, an electronic signature expert at Hogia.

XBRL Sweden is made up of, among other things, software companies, authorities, and actors in audit, accounting, tax and payroll. 24 digital signature players were invited to participate in the review, 11 of whom responded. Of the 11, only four jobs were judged to meet the set criteria. In addition to Hogia Signit, Zealid, Comfact Signature and Signport, these are the ones that XBRL Sweden now recommends.

The government has proven that electronic signatures are a socially important infrastructure. We now hope for a government verification service that will increase the pace of digitization as it will be easier to use and validate electronic signatures, concludes Martin Thoulin.