Authentication of Electronic Signatures in Online Business Transactions

Technological developments have driven digitalization in online business transactions, including the use of electronic signatures (ETS) as a substitute for conventional signatures. Although ETS have been legally recognized in the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE), there is still debate regarding their authentication, legal force, and legal protection. This study aims to analyze the authentication regulations and legal force of ETS from the perspective of positive Indonesian law using normative methods through legislative and conceptual approaches. The results of the study show that ETS authentication is based on the ITE Law and asymmetric cryptography technology with public key infrastructure. Certified ETS have stronger legal force because they are supported by Electronic Certification Organizers (PSrE) supervised by the Ministry of Communication and Information. The authentication process involves registration, identity verification, and issuance of electronic certificates by PSrE. The government provides legal protection through strict regulations and criminal sanctions for forgery of ETS. With clear regulations, certified ETS have legal force equivalent to manual signatures and can be used as valid evidence in court. To increase trust in digital transactions, it is necessary to socialize the use of certified ETS and improve regulations and procedures for issuing electronic certificates. Further research with an empirical approach is needed to understand the effectiveness and application of TTE in various business sectors.