Known as the Digital Trust Label (DTL), the new mark indicates trustworthiness clearly, using non-technical language that is easy for consumers to understand.
The DTL was developed by the Swiss Digital Initiative (SDI), a Geneva-headquartered non-profit foundation, and so far five major Swiss companies, including the Swiss bank Credit Suisse, have been awarded the label.
The label has 35 criteria, covering 4 main areas of concern – security, data protection, reliability and fair user interaction.
As the consortium’s main audit partner, SGS will externally verify whether a digital service or app is trustworthy through an independent audit process.
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."