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SINGAPORE: A digital signature feature was launched in the SingPass mobile app on Thursday (Nov. 5) to provide “added convenience” in signing legal documentation, the Singapore Government Agency for Technology (GovTech) said.
Dubbed “Sign with SingPass,” the service will allow more than 2.1 million users to sign digital documents in less than two minutes, GovTech said in a press release.
This “will be helpful for organizations and their customers with the increasing prevalence of online transactions,” as the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to physically sign documents, he added.
GovTech said this feature will be tested “in the coming weeks” for the digital signature of property warnings filed electronically with the Singapore Land Authority (SLA).
Lawyers can also digitally sign “anytime, anywhere” without the need for a hardware token or physical configuration of a laptop to present a warning.
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To use the feature, users will need to launch the SingPass app and scan the QR code on the document.
(Graphic: GovTech)
A reference code will appear in the application, which must match the one in the document.
Once this has been confirmed, the user will be asked to verify their identity.
GovTech said that this service follows the launch of the SingPass facial verification service last July, which allows users to authenticate during online transactions using facial biometrics.
“Both services are part of the Smart Nation National Digital Identity (NDI) strategic national project that aims to build a trusted digital identity ecosystem for citizens, public agencies and private sector companies.”
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GOVERNMENT GOALS 100% DIGITAL OPTIONS
The new digital signature feature will support efforts to digitize government services and achieve the Digital Government Blueprint’s goal of providing 100% end-to-end digital options, GovTech said.
As more agencies offer this service, “users can expect to use digital signatures to complete transactions with the government without the need to be physically present to sign documents,” GovTech added. There are now around 250 government agencies and private organizations offering over 2,000 digital services on SingPass.
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Cybersecurity measures have been implemented in line with “industry best practices” in the digital signature process.
According to GovTech, no “document data” will be transferred between the digital signature partner or the trading partner platform and the NDI platform.
“Instead, only a cryptographically random, unintelligible, and irreversible code representing the signed document will be transferred during the transaction.”
The feature will be progressively implemented by Assurity Trusted Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of GovTech, in collaboration with eight providers of digital signature applications.
These include DocuSign, iText, Netrust, Adobe, OneSpan, Dedoco, Tessaract.io, and Kofax.
With this feature, “companies will save costs and labor by eliminating manual verification processes for physical paperwork,” said GovTech CEO Kok Ping Soon.
Organizations can register their interest through the NDI website, with no payment required for onboarding.
