How to bring signatures to everyone.
The real barriers to adoption and the levers that remove them.
Many countries have had signature laws for twenty years, accredited providers and certificates available. And yet most people still print, sign by hand and scan. Technology stopped being the obstacle long ago. What holds back mass adoption is a combination of cost, friction, a lack of places to use the signature, and habit. Each of those barriers has a concrete lever.
The real barriers
| Barrier | What it looks like | Lever |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | You have to buy a certificate, a token or a reader. | A signature included in the identity document, or free for personal use. |
| Friction | Drivers, readers, software that will not install. | Remote signing, and signing from the phone. |
| Few places to use it | The person has a signature, but no procedure accepts it. | The State and large services accept it first. |
| Distrust | It is unclear what it is worth or whether it is secure. | Clear communication and public validators. |
| Habit | Paper works and no one wants to change. | Redesigned processes that show the time saved. |
The chicken and egg problem
People do not get a digital signature if they have nowhere to use it, and organizations do not accept it if few people have one. The countries that broke this cycle did so in two ways at once: they put a signature in everyone's hands, for example in the identity document, and they made the State the first major place to use it, with procedures that accept or require it.
Five levers that work
- A signature in your pocket. Included in the identity document or available free on the phone.
- A first major user. The State, banks or social security adopt the signature for frequent procedures.
- Interoperability. Any valid signature is accepted by any service, regardless of the provider.
- Tools for small organizations. Simple, affordable services for shops, professional firms and schools.
- Assistance. Service points and assisted channels for those who cannot sign on their own.
Signatures do not reach mass adoption because of technology, but when they are free or cheap, easy to use, accepted in places people go often, trustworthy in people's eyes, and supported for those who need help. Breaking the cycle between supply and acceptance requires acting on both sides at once.