Indicating Trust and Transparency – The Digital Trust Label Launches Globally

WHY THE DIGITAL TRUST LABEL?

Consumers are increasingly aware of digital risks and demand more transparency and accountability. In response, the Swiss Digital Initiative (SDI), SGS and other partners have officially launched the Digital Trust Label (DTL) internationally to better highlight a company’s commitment to digital responsibility. An official launch ceremony took place at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) recent Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

TRUST, TRANSPARENCY & TECHNOLOGY GO HAND IN HAND

Developed by the Geneva-headquartered SDI, a non-profit foundation, the DTL indicates a digital service or app’s trustworthiness clearly, using non-technical language that everyone can understand.

As the main audit partner, leading testing, inspection and certification company SGS played a decisive role in developing the label.

Jan Meemken, Managing Director of SGS Switzerland, said: “The DTL is the result of two years of determined collaboration, so we are thrilled to see the label launch globally.

“We believe that trust, transparency and technology go hand in hand. But with increasing digitalization and algorithms working in the background, it is increasingly difficult for people to understand what is happening to their data.”

35 CRITERIA – 4 DIMENSIONS

The label’s 35 criteria, spanning 4 dimensions – security, data protection, reliability and fair user interaction – were developed under EPFL’s lead.

SGS has been mandated to externally verify whether a digital service or app is trustworthy through an independent audit process.

Wolfgang Krupp, Department Head of SGS Brightsight Cyberlab Graz, said: “We are proud to be the label’s main audit partner.”

GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

Since the launch, the DTL has been awarded to 5 Swiss companies – Swiss Re, Swisscom, Credit Suisse, PeopleWeek and Credit Exchange – and 14 more are committed to achieving the label this year.

UNICEF Switzerland and Liechtenstein is the first non-profit organization committed to going through the process, to generate greater trust and transparency in its donation process.

Meanwhile, German insurtech company wefox is the first company outside of Switzerland to undergo the audit, opening the label application process to organizations internationally.

Mr Meemken added: “The initiative is gaining more and more attention from all manner of organizations, including those outside of our launch country.

“With the DTL, we bring trust, transparency and simplicity back into technology. It is the first of its kind in the world and we look forward to the future.”

Want more details about the DTL or an audit? Learn more here.