Phone calls can now be legally binding, thanks to Fraunhofer

Fraunhofer researchers at the Institute for Secure Information Technology (SIT) have developed a means of giving telephone calls a digital signature, allowing certain calls to be made legally binding. The discovery means that contracts and other legally binding papers could be consented to over the phone.

The move is prompted partly by a fusion in telephonic and Internet technologies, a partnership which is leading to new business forms and services. These services need to be secure against tapping and manipulation, and the development of the digital signature technology is of particular interest to companies who could stand to gain from telephonic contract signing but require secure systems to operate with.

The technology works by using VoIP (Voice over IP) protocol – a system which most companies switched to long ago – to create legally-binding archiving of telephone calls. The system could be used, for example, for a bank who wish to gain a customer's consent via a telephone conversation. During the conversation, the banker would use a simple command to record the call. The SIT technology then divides the conversation into separate 'chunks' and tags each one with a unique encoded digital 'stamp', but stores them all in an indivisible chain. The system means that any changes to the calls will be noticed, regardless of when the tampering occurs.

The technology is compatible for use with most companies and sectors, as VoIP technology can be installed on any IP telephone system. Fraunhofer will be exhibiting their developments at the GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

For more information on the research, contact Rachid El Khayari at rachid.el.khayari@sit.fraunhofer.de

Published: Wednesday, 27th January 2010 by Tom Freeman

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