Electronic signature with video evidence — Reinforced legal proof
Capture the exact moment your counterparty accepts the contract on video. The strongest evidentiary support available in Latin America: face, voice, date, and document, all bound together by a cryptographic hash and blockchain anchor.
What is a video-evidenced signature?
It is an additional layer on top of the traditional electronic signature: instead of keeping only the signer's on-screen stroke, Validocus records a short video in which the person appears reading and explicitly accepting the document. That video is hashed together with the PDF, registered on the Avalanche blockchain, and stored as part of the document's evidence file. The result is an evidence chain combining visual biometric identity, recorded express consent, and cryptographic proof of non-alteration. It is the closest thing to a notarized handwritten signature that exists in a fully remote format.
Why video is the definitive legal evidence
In civil and commercial proceedings, most electronic-signature disputes center on three questions: did the person actually sign, did they understand what they were signing, and is the document the same one they signed? Video evidence answers all three at once.
1. Reinforced visual identity
The signer's face is recorded. If impersonation is alleged at trial, a forensic expert can compare the video to official identity documents. Far more solid than a stroke drawn with a finger.
2. Express consent
The signer reads an acceptance statement. This neutralizes the classic argument of 'I signed without reading' or 'I didn't understand the clauses.' There is an audiovisual record of the conscious act of signing.
3. Cryptographic integrity
The SHA-256 hash of the video is combined with the document's hash and published on blockchain. Modifying the video, the PDF, or both breaks the chain, and any external validator can detect it in seconds.
Cases where video evidence settled disputes
The patterns we see across Validocus customers repeat themselves: companies that add video evidence to sensitive contracts avoid lengthy proceedings when someone tries to disown the signature months later. In labor disputes, the video of acceptance of a termination agreement avoids debates about coercion. In collections, the video accompanying a promissory note dismantles 'that document is forged' defenses. In insurance, the video of acceptance of policy conditions closes the door to misinformation claims. Investing 15 seconds of recording at the moment of signing pays for entire avoided lawsuits.
Use cases
Promissory notes and financial obligations
Whenever debt is involved, a video of the debtor accepting the note drastically reduces the risk of signature repudiation during judicial collection.
Employment contracts with sensitive clauses
Non-compete, exclusivity, or reinforced confidentiality agreements. The video makes clear that the employee knew and accepted every clause.
Insurance policies and acceptance of conditions
The insurance and financial sectors require proof of informed consent. The video resolves the typical evidentiary doubt of 'they didn't explain what I was signing.'
High-value B2B deals
Commercial contracts at significant amounts where a future dispute could cost more than the savings of signing without video.
How does it work?
- 1
Upload the PDF and, when configuring the signers, enable the video-evidence option (a per-document toggle).
- 2
Each signer receives a unique link by email — opens it on a phone or desktop with no installation required.
- 3
At signing time, the browser asks permission to use the camera and microphone and records a short clip of the signer accepting the document.
- 4
Validocus computes the SHA-256 hash of the signed PDF plus the video hash, and registers both on the Avalanche blockchain.
- 5
You download the signed PDF, the video, and the evidence certificate with all hashes, timestamps, and signer data.
Frequently asked questions
What is video evidence in an electronic signature?
It is a short recording of the signer reading and explicitly accepting the document at the moment of signing. It captures face, voice, date, and device, all tied to the PDF's hash. It serves as reinforced proof of informed consent: not only is there a drawn signature, there is an audiovisual record of the act of signing.
Is video evidence legally valid in Colombia?
Yes. Under Law 527 of 1999 and Decree 2364 of 2012, electronic evidence is admissible provided integrity, attribution, and preservation are guaranteed. Video evidence reinforces all three: integrity, because it is hashed together with the document; attribution, because it shows the signer; and preservation, because it is stored immutably alongside the blockchain anchor and signature certificate.
How does it differ from a simple on-screen signature stroke?
An on-screen stroke shows that someone drew something, but on its own it does not prove who drew it or what they understood about the document. Video evidence adds visual biometric identity and express consent. In a dispute, a forensic expert can review the video and confirm that the person actually read and accepted the contract.
How is the video recorded without complicating things for the signer?
The flow is mobile-optimized. The signer opens the email link, views the document, taps to sign, and the front camera activates for a short recording (10–15 seconds) where they read an acceptance statement. Everything is processed in the browser, with no app installation. 78% of signatures on Validocus are completed from the signer's mobile phone.
Where is the video stored and for how long?
The video is stored encrypted in Validocus infrastructure for the full retention period of the document (at least 10 years per Colombian accounting regulation). The video's hash is registered on the Avalanche blockchain, so any later alteration is detectable. The document owner can download the video together with the evidence certificate at any time.
Can I sign without video if my counterparty doesn't want to be recorded?
Yes. Video evidence is optional but strongly recommended for sensitive documents (employment contracts, promissory notes, large commercial agreements). For routine documents you can disable it and use only the signature stroke plus the blockchain hash. You still retain legal validity — you only lose one layer of evidentiary support.
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