Italians are tech-savvy: six out of ten have a digital signature, which is among the most secure in Europe
Italia has opted for qualified signatures — the highest level of security, with legal validity equivalent to a handwritten signature — whilst in Northern Europe, advanced electronic signature solutions, an intermediate standard, have become particularly widespread
Thirty-three million active certificates, seven billion signatures a year, 233 time stamps issued every second. Italians have adopted digital signatures more widely and more effectively than almost all their European neighbours: 65 per cent of citizens already have one.
Italians prioritise safety
It is not just the volume that makes the difference. Italia has focused on qualified signatures — the highest level of security, with legal validity equivalent to a handwritten signature — whilst in Northern Europe, advanced electronic signature solutions, an intermediate standard, have become particularly widespread. This is a more demanding choice, which has imposed high standards on citizens and businesses in their dealings with the public administration.
The Eudi Wallet
Those standards have now become the benchmark for the whole of the European Union. The eIDAS 2 Regulation, which comes into force on 20 May 2024, aims to harmonise standards across the 27 Member States and to introduce the European Digital Identity Wallet (Eudi Wallet) by December 2026. Once fully implemented, the qualified electronic signature will become the default for cross-border transactions: Italia is already there. Against this backdrop, Tinexta Infocert, a Qualified Trust Service Provider operating in over twenty countries, today unveiled a unified signature platform for international use.
Meanwhile, Europe remains the only market in the world where a digital signature has automatic legal validity in all Member States — around 20 million signatures a day in Italia alone, almost 840,000 every hour.
