electronic signature
An item of data incorporated into or associated with an electronically transmitted document that fulfils the function of a written signature. Under the Electronic Communications Act 2000 electronic signatures are recognized in legal proceedings and as having legal effect. In the EU the regulation on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market (the e-IDAS Regulation: 910/2014) replaced the earlier Electronic Signatures Directive (1999/93/EC) from July 2016. This has been adopted into UK law and amended by the Electronic Identification and Trust Services for Electronic Transactions (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. See also digital signature. |