Civil liability of electronic signature service providers in light of comparative legislation
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Abstract
The rapid expansion in the use of electronic signatures is accompanied by the emergence of legal challenges relating to the determination of the civil liability of electronic signature service providers, particularly in view of the pivotal role performed by them in issuing authentication certificates, verifying the identity of transacting parties, and ensuring the integrity of electronic transactions. Against this background, the study is aimed at analyzing the civil liability of electronic signature service providers by identifying their legal status, analyzing the legal and technical obligations imposed upon them, and clarifying the legal basis of civil liability arising from breaches of such obligations, in addition to examining cases in which liability is excluded and the conditions governing exemption therefrom, in light of a comparison with Egyptian legislation and European regulation. The descriptive, analytical, and comparative approaches are adopted in the study through the analysis of the legal provisions governing electronic signature services and their comparison with comparative legislative trends. It is concluded in the study that electronic signature service providers constitute one of the most important elements in building trust in electronic transactions and that their civil liability is linked to breaches of the legal and technical obligations relating to identity verification, the issuance of authentication certificates, the management of signature keys, the preservation of data confidentiality, and the management of the certificate life cycle. It is also demonstrated that the liability of the service provider may be contractual or tortious, depending on the nature of the legal relationship, and that most of its fundamental obligations are closer to obligations to achieve a specific result than to obligations to exercise due care, thereby justifying the application of a stricter standard of liability commensurate with the professional and technical nature of this activity. It is further shown that Jordanian regulation, despite providing a legal framework for regulating electronic signature services, still requires greater detail in defining technical obligations, the standard of civil liability, and the conditions governing exemption therefrom, in a manner that enhances trust in the digital environment and keeps pace with rapid technological developments.
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