Digital Signature Initiative

Public trust has become such an issue for users of the Web that it is now beginning to impact profitability and growth. While there are ways of assuring the identity and integrity of objects on the Web, this is not enough for many users. They not only want to know the provenance of an object, but also its predications: what resources does it require, when is it valid, who recommends it, etc. Beyond identity and integrity, they are interested in assertions and endorsements. To help the Web reach its full potential, it is important that end users have a reliable mechanism for coming to binding agreements and deciding what Web content they can trust. W3C is working to define effective ways to represent digitally signed assertions.