ETSI Standard for Compliant Identity Proofing

# ETSI Definition: What is the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)?

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute, also known as ETSI standards, is an independent organisation that standardises norms at the European level.

Although ETSI was initially created to standardise rules of procedure in the telecommunications sector in Europe, its scope has grown to become a global organisation. Today, its main mission is the standardisation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Europe.

Therefore, ETSI is one of the three members recognised at the European level as the European Standards Organisation (ESO) and its main role is to support European regulations, legislation, and rules of procedure through the creation of harmonised standards.

# What is the ETSI Standard for Identity Proofing Standard?

The identity verification process allows a company or organisation to verify a person’s identity and check they are who they say they are. This is necessary to ensure trustworthy relationships between users and companies or organisations. This process, when carried out in person, is done through the verification of the identity document and the holder of the document eye to eye.

Although this process is carried out in both the private and public domains, in the financial services sector (banking, insurance companies, etc.) the identity verification process is known as KYC (Know Your Customer).

Within its framework for regulating telecommunications systems, the ETSI standard framework has standardised identity proofing, recognising identification through video in streaming with the recording of the whole process as the only valid model for remote customer identity proofing, having the same level of compliance as face-to-face. This reinforces even more what is already stipulated in the eIDAS regulation, about identification through video in streaming being the only valid method for eIDAS ETSI compliant customer identification.

This ETSI standard sets the framework for identity verification of the eIDAS regulation by which all EU member states are governed, and which stipulates that streaming video is the only legal instrument to validate the evidence and attributes of identity documents (ID cards, passports…) and to perform remote identification, as opposed to other using photographs or selfies, which are not eIDAS ETSI compliant with the KYC process.

# What are the Advantages of the ETSI Standards?

This ETSI rules of procedure and standards complement the eIDAS regulation that defines standards and rules for electronic signatures (Qualified Electronic Signature among them), the emission of qualified certificates and online trust services. It also regulates electronic transactions and their management.

A reliable identity verification process allows companies, especially those in the financial sector, to operate online with their customers in a 100% secure manner and with the same guarantees as in person.

The standardisation of this type of procedure is another step towards the construction of a digital solution that both companies in the financial sector and governments can acquire and implement to operate with their customers and users 100% remotely.

# How Does the ETSI Standard Relate to Signicat’s Qualified e-Signature?

The regulation we have been working on for years, the technology, and the push of the COVID-19 crisis have highlighted the need for this technology. Everything converges to make a strong digital identity, accessible to users and very easy to use and integrate for companies and institutions.

With a strong presence across Europe and an established worldwide reputation as a visionary provider of remote identification solutions, Signicat, after acquiring EID, is the only provider offering an end-to-end solution of recorded video streaming for Customer Onboarding and remote video identification in seconds. A solution that allows any operation to be carried out remotely, for any use case (Digital Onboarding of customers, signing of a mortgage, subscription of a new insurance policy, and more) and any sector.