AI-Based ID Verification Equivalent to Face-to-Face Authentication

As more business transactions occur online, secure signing is more important than ever. A simple electronic signature is sufficient for many scenarios, but sometimes you need signatures with added identity verification. Usually that extra layer of security comes with agreements that are extremely valuable, deal with sensitive information or need to meet certain regulations.  Digital signatures, a type of electronic signature that offers heightened identity assurance and tamperproofing, are used around the world to make agreements more secure. 

In the United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU), for example, the most secure digital signature is a Qualified Electronic Signature (QES). This type of signature requires face-to-face identification (or the equivalent) and is the only form of electronic signature that’s considered equivalent to a handwritten signature under EU law. 

To sign a QES, signers have to provide their physical ID in person or set up a video appointment with a certified agent. While QES provides higher identity assurance and risk mitigation, that extra step makes it cumbersome. Without a digital identity verification that matches or exceeds a face-to-face experience, signers have a poorer user experience, agreements take longer to sign and business transactions are delayed. 

Docusign ID Verification for Qualified Electronic Signatures and Identity Wallet for QES enhancement 

To deliver the highest levels of trust and security, you need remote identification that is equivalent to face-to-face identity verification. That’s why we introduced Docusign ID Verification for EU Qualified, our flagship offering within ID Verification Premier. 

Through AI technology—including advanced liveness detection and selfie videos—ID Verification for EU Qualified lets organizations easily and securely complete the QES-mandated identity verification process remotely and in minutes. It’s like meeting face to face, but without the inconveniences of in-person or video appointments.  

ID Verification for EU Qualified is built directly into the eSignature workflow and meets QES identification requirements in the EU and the UK. Signers enjoy a streamlined identification process, and organisations achieve faster completions for their most important documents. With Docusign ID Verification for EU Qualified, you can: 

• Streamline identification with mobile-first self-service: Signers can complete identity verification on their own time in an intuitive, mobile-friendly interface without waiting for an appointment with a live agent 

• Mitigate business risk: AI-enabled liveness detection and selfie comparison help organisations reduce the chance of fraud from deep fakes or identity spoofing 

• Comply with QES requirements in the EU and the UK: Digital certificates are attached to every signature, and verification status is recorded in the eSignature Certificate of Completion for audit purposes

To further enhance user experience while preserving security, we’re excited to introduce Identity Wallet for QES, a feature that will help signers sign QES even faster. Upon successful completion of the identity verification process, repeat signers can create an Identity Wallet to further streamline the agreement process. Leveraging the signers’ native device passkey capability to store their identity data, credentials and attributes linked to their identity, signers can then easily re-apply their stored identity to future QES agreements, avoiding the need to undergo the full identity verification check each time.

Here’s how it works:

For signers without an Identity Wallet created, before accessing an agreement for signature, they are asked to perform three simple steps on their preferred mobile device:

1. Take a photo of their ID document

2. Take a video of themselves

3. Engage in recorded, guided movements

A signer can typically perform these identification steps in a few minutes. The identification package is sent to a certified agent, who reviews and approves asynchronously, typically in less than 15 minutes. Once successfully approved, the signer is prompted to access their Docusign envelope and complete the process for a QES.

For signers with an Identity Wallet already created, before accessing the document they will need to authenticate themselves through their device passkey. Supporting FIDO Authentication standards, signers can use the built-in biometric capabilities on the device, such as FaceID or fingerprint scans, to authenticate themselves. Once successfully done so, they will be taken to the document to complete, thus avoiding the need to complete steps one to three above. 

Check out the signer's experience in action:

ID Verification for EU Qualified has many uses across industries, including financial services, insurance, legal services, government, healthcare and life sciences. The combination of Docusign eSignature and IDV for EU Qualified can be used to comply with QES requirements for a variety of scenarios, including:

• Notarised agreements

• Cross-border agreements

• HR work agreements

• Consumer loans

• Lease agreements

• Clinical trials

• Life insurance agreements

• Documents that must be in writing by Scot’s law (UK)

We’ve also made it easier for you to comply with country-specific standards and regulations that fall outside eIDAS regulation. Docusign customers can access closely integrated partnerships with trust service providers such as SwissCom, ZealID and Itsme through ID Verification Premier. For example, Docusign customers based in Switzerland can achieve compliance with ZertES (Switzerland’s federal law on electronic signatures), while customers based in Germany can comply with BaFin Anti-Money Laundering (GwG) requirements with ZealID’s QES, identification and ‘penny-drop’ capabilities, through an all-in-one Docusign solution.