What is better from a legal standpoint, an electronic signature or a digital signature?
Although they sound similar, e-signatures and digital signatures are completely different things, and should not be compared. An e-signature is a legal concept. It is the electronic equivalent of a wet ink signature on paper, and must therefore have certain characteristics for evidentiary purposes. As defined by the US federal ESIGN law, an electronic signature is “an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to, or associated with, a contract or other record and used as the legal equivalent of a written signature.” A digital signature, on the other hand, is an encryption technology used to secure data. It can be used as part of an e-signature for security, but does not independently meet the legal requirements.
