US government opens up online trading with e-signatures

NEWS The US government last week passed an electronic signature law to allow internet users to enter legally binding contracts online. The legislation will grant e-signatures and electronic documents the same legal weight as paper documents. However, the law does not specify the use of secure, cryptographic signatures, instead defining an e-signature as a "sound, symbol or process attached to or associated with a contract". The broad definition - which allows internet users to validate a contract by simply clicking on a hyperlink - has angered consumer groups who say the vague interpretation may result in unsuspecting customers agreeing to a contract by simply clicking a "continue" link on a website. However the law has met with approval from the US computer industry.