1. eIDAS-compliant eSignatures make online national referendum possible in Italy
On the 12 August 2021, Italian authorities launched a new online platform allowing citizens to digitally sign referendums in the comfort of their homes.
The Raccolta Firme Online (online signature collection) web platform was created by itAgile, an I.T. solutions company, in collaboration with TrustPro, a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP).
Italian citizens could choose the best-suited method for them to use or acquire a digital signature. This might be:
- Signing with SPID (Public Digital Identity System which is the simple, fast and secure Italian access key to digital services of local and central administrations): SPID authentication is used to sign the voter's response with a digital signature;
- Signing with their device: for those who already have their own digital signature (smart card, USB key or remote digital signature service);
- Requesting the release of a digital signature online through the TrustPro QTSP service to sign immediately in case there is no SPID, or a digital signature.
In all the above methods, electronic signatures are created using the eSignature Building Block.
The eSignature Building Block is compliant with the eIDAS Regulation, meaning that it ensures the legal recognition and cross-border interoperability of electronic signatures. It also reduces risk of document duplication or alteration as the signer’s identity is bound to each specific document, ensuring that signatures and seals are verified, authentic and legitimate for that document alone.
It is vital to ensure the validity and security of electronic signatures used in the democratic process. In less than two months from the launching of the Raccolta Firme Online platform, more than 372,000 citizens signed online. This drove the collection of 500,000 signatures in total (both handwritten and digital) which is the requirement for an abrogative referendum to be presented in Italy.
By removing the need for a paper to obtain a signature or seal, eSignature facilitates the digitalisation of business processes, eliminating the time, costs, and risks of dealing with paper formats. It is also compliant with the eIDAS Regulation, meaning that it ensures the legal recognition and cross-border interoperability of electronic signatures and seals.