Your questions about digital evidence
—answered
Find out all about digital evidence, its legal basis, probative value and technical operation. Find out how a certified photo or video will be legally validated, and how Certificall can be integrated into your business softwares and compliance processes.
Understanding digital evidence
This section explains the legal and technical principles of digital evidence —why it matters, when it's valid, and the guarantees it provides.
Digital evidence is an electronic file containing objective elements—such as a photo, a video, timestamp, and GPS data—that prove a fact, event, or document at a specific time. It's essential for securing situations legally, especially in case of disputes. Digital evidence has become a key asset in contracts, compliance, and risk management in a digital world.
Digital evidence is fully recognized under French law (Articles 1366 and 1367 of the Civil Code) and the European eIDAS Regulation. If generated through a trusted process, it holds the same legal weight as paper documents. Certified evidence sealed with a qualified electronic seal even carries a presumption of reliability, giving it strong evidentiary force in court.
A qualified seal is the digital equivalent of a company stamp. It guarantees a document’s origin and integrity. Unlike a signature, which binds a natural person, the seal authenticates documents issued by a legal entity. It is issued by a qualified trust service provider (QTSP), following the strict requirements of the eIDAS regulation.
Yes. When certified in accordance with legal standards, digital evidence is fully admissible in court. If it is timestamped, geolocated, and sealed with a qualified seal, it benefits from a legal presumption of authenticity, just like a bailiff’s report or paper contract.
A standard photo can be altered or challenged easily. A Certificall-certified photo is timestamped, geolocated, sealed with a qualified eIDAS seal, and stored on our secured cloud platform. These features ensure it was captured at a specific time and location and cannot be modified—making it trustworthy and legally admissible.
Security & legal validity
Here you can find out how Certificall ensures the integrity, traceability and legal value of each piece of evidence. It highlights the applicable standards and regulations.
Certificall uses a trusted chain combining :
eIDAS qualified timestamp
Enhanced GPS geolocation
Qualified electronic seal
Secure PDF/A certificate with a cryptographic hash (SHA)
Any modification attempt invalidates the certificate—ensuring its integrity.
A certified timestamp proves the document existed at a specific, verifiable moment. Delivered by a eIDAS-compliant qualified trust service provider (QTSP), a trusted authority recognized by the ANSSI (cyber security French regulor, it’s a key element of legal digital evidence —especially for proving prior existence of actions or data.
Certificall uses seals from a qualified trust service provider (QTSP) recognized under the eIDAS EU regulation. Obtaining these seals required not only a justice officer’s validation, but also a legal and technical audit of Certificall’s internal processes.
No. When evidence is sealed with a qualified electronic seal, the burden of proof is reversed. Your evidence is presumed legally reliable—it’s up to the opposing party to prove otherwise, which is extremely difficult in legal terms.
Digital evidence is governed by :
EU Regulation eIDAS No. 910/2014
French Civil Code Articles 1366 and 1367
French Decree No. 2017-1416 on electronic signatures
These laws confirm that digital documents created using trusted processes—like Certificall—are fully valid.
How the Certificall app works
This section details the user journey, from taking the photo to retrieving the certificate. It shows how the application can be integrated into your business processes.
Users log in with their company ID and follow a guided scenario called a “template”. Each photo is automatically timestamped and geolocated. Once validated, a tamper-proof certificate is created, signed, and stored—ensuring full legal validity.
The certificate contains:
The photo(s) and video(s)
Date & time (ISO 8601 format)
GPS coordinates
SHA cryptographic hash
Device metadata (model, IP, app version)
Your company name
All is anchored in a signed PDF/A-b format, stored securely in France.
Certificates are available immediately after validation. You can retrieve them :
- By email (if enabled)
- Through the Certificall admin dashboard
- Via a secure direct link
Certificates remain accessible throughout the contractual retention period (up to 10 years).
Yes. Certificall offers a ready-to-use API for integration into your CRM, ERP, or business tools. You can also use preconfigured deep links to launch the app from external systems—with prefilled data like ID file, report ID, etc.
Yes, Certificall works with most modern Android and iOS smartphones. You just need GPS and internet access. The app is available on Google Play and the App Store. For best results, keep the app updated and allow location and camera access.
Yes, an internet connection is required to complete the certification process, especially the timestamping step : sending the data, generating the certificate and storing. However, the application can operate in ‘temporary offline’ mode for taking photos. As soon as the connection is re-established, the certificates are time-stamped and generated automatically. However, a disclaimer will be indicated on the certificates for total transparency.
Privacy, data retention
Certificall rigorously protects your data and evidence. This section answers questions about retention, access and compliance with the GDPR regulation.
Certificates are retained for up to 10 years, depending on your business needs (e.g., 10-year construction warranty). They are securely stored in redundant cloud infrastructure hosted in France, fully GDPR-compliant.
Absolutely. Certificall follows strict GDPR standards:
- Only necessary data is collected
- Data is encrypted and stored in France
- No data is transferred outside the EU
- You can request access, correction, or deletion at any time.
Only authorized admins in your organization can access all certificates. Users can view the ones they generated. Certificall never sells or exploits your data. Access is secure and restricted through authentication.
No. For legal reliability, certified evidence cannot be altered once issued. This ensures it remains valid and trustworthy. However, access and sharing can be revoked or restricted based on your admin rights.
Yes, they are fully admissible and can be used to:
Document damage or incidents
Prove project status or equipment condition
Demonstrate delays, defects, or compliance
Certificall is a strong asset in contract enforcement, claims, and risk management.
Managing your certificates
Learn how to create, manage, and secure your digital proofs—and how Certificall adapts to your business, no matter its size.
Contact our support team for help. Identity verification steps will be required to protect your data and account.
Yes. Certificall is designed to adapt to use cases like site inspections, audits, damage reports, regulatory compliance, and more. With customizable workflows and a flexible API, it fits seamlessly into your operations—whatever your industry.
Limits depend on your subscription plan. Certificall offers scalable pricing based on your use case and the volume of certified photos, videos, or documents you need.
