Why VDS Should Become an Authentication Standard for the Digital Product Passport
The Digital Product Passport: A Transparency Revolution
The European Union's Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which entered into force in July 2024, is reshaping how products are identified and tracked throughout their lifecycle. At its core is the Digital Product Passport (DPP) — a mandatory digital record linked to a product via a QR code, carrying data on its origin, materials, repairability, and environmental impact.
The rollout is already underway. Batteries must comply by February 2027. Textiles and aluminium follow in 2027. Electronics, ICT equipment, and other sectors will be phased in through 2030. By July 2026, the European Commission will deploy a central DPP registry. Virtually every product sold in the EU will eventually carry a DPP.
A Critical Gap: Authentication
The DPP framework raises an important but often overlooked question: how do you ensure the QR code on a product is genuine?
A QR code can be copied, reprinted, or replaced. Without a cryptographic authentication mechanism, the DPP becomes a transparency tool that can be manipulated — defeating its very purpose of fighting counterfeiting and greenwashing.
This is precisely the problem that the Visible Digital Seal (VDS) was designed to solve.
What VDS Brings to the Table
The VDS is a cryptographically signed 2D barcode standardized under ISO 22376:2023 and ISO 22385. It contains a structured data payload and a digital signature from the issuer, verifiable by any compliant system using public key infrastructure (PKI) — the same technology that secures over 145 countries' electronic passports.
Key properties that make VDS a strong candidate for DPP authentication:
- Tamper-proof — any alteration of the data invalidates the signature
- Issuer non-repudiation — the origin of the seal is cryptographically proven
- Offline verifiable — no internet connection required to verify
- Already deployed — used on travel documents, vaccination certificates, and official seals worldwide
- Open standard — not tied to any single vendor or platform
VDSIC's Position
The VDSIC (Visible Digital Seal International Council) is actively working to position VDS as a recognized authentication standard within the DPP ecosystem. The technical foundations are already in place. What remains is formal recognition by European and international standardization bodies.
The convergence of supply chain transparency requirements and document authentication technology creates a unique opportunity. The VDS is not a new concept to be invented — it is a mature, proven standard waiting to be applied to a new and critical use case.
As the DPP rollout accelerates, the question is not whether products need cryptographic authentication. The question is which standard will provide it.