{
 "url": "https://activatedigital.ai/knowledge/evidence/verifiable-credentials",
 "title": "What Does a Verifiable Credential Actually Prove?",
 "description": "Can a machine verify a product certificate? What verifiable credentials and Digital Conformity Credentials prove, and what they do not.",
 "territory": "evid",
 "category": null,
 "direct_answer": "**Can a machine verify a product certificate?** Yes, when the certificate is issued as a verifiable credential. Software can check its cryptographic proof, the identifier associated with its issuer or controller and, where used, whether it is current, suspended or revoked under its status mechanism.",
 "last_verified": "2026-09-06",
 "verified_label": "Last verified",
 "datePublished": "2026-09-06",
 "dateModified": "2026-09-06",
 "legislation": [],
 "primary_sources": [
  {
   "url": "https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-model-2.0/",
   "name": "Verifiable Credentials Data Model v2.0, W3C"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://www.w3.org/TR/did-core/",
   "name": "Decentralized Identifiers (DIDs) v1.0, W3C"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-bitstring-status-list/",
   "name": "Bitstring Status List v1.0, W3C"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-jose-cose/",
   "name": "Securing Verifiable Credentials using JOSE and COSE, W3C"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://untp.unece.org/docs/specification/VerifiableCredentials/",
   "name": "UNTP Verifiable Credentials, UNECE / UN/CEFACT"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://untp.unece.org/docs/specification/ConformityCredential/",
   "name": "UNTP Digital Conformity Credential, UNECE / UN/CEFACT"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://untp.unece.org/docs/specification/DigitalIdentityAnchor/",
   "name": "UNTP Digital Identity Anchor, UNECE / UN/CEFACT"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://untp.unece.org/docs/specification/IdentityResolver/",
   "name": "UNTP Identity Resolver, UNECE / UN/CEFACT"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://www.iso.org/conformity-assessment.html",
   "name": "ISO conformity assessment overview, ISO"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://www.iso.org/standard/73029.html",
   "name": "ISO/IEC 17000:2020, ISO"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-integrity/",
   "name": "Verifiable Credential Data Integrity 1.0, W3C, Recommendation, 15 May 2025"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-model/all/",
   "name": "VC Data Model publication family, W3C, checked 4 September 2026"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/label-check",
   "name": "OEKO-TEX: Label Check"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://global-standards.org/suppliers/certified-suppliers",
   "name": "GOTS: Certified Suppliers Database"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://fsc.org/en/tools-resources",
   "name": "FSC: Tools & Resources / Public Certificate Search"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://health.ec.europa.eu/medical-devices-eudamed/notified-bodies-and-certificates-module_en",
   "name": "European Commission: EUDAMED Notified Bodies and Certificates module, 16 June 2026"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/circular-economy-topics/eu-ecolabel/about-eu-ecolabel_en",
   "name": "European Commission: About the EU Ecolabel"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://ec.europa.eu/digital-building-blocks/sites/spaces/EBSI/overview",
   "name": "European Commission / EBSI overview, supporting context only: public-sector VC infrastructure is active, not evidence of broad product-sector adoption"
  },
  {
   "url": "https://www.oeko-tex.com/en/our-standards/oeko-tex-made-in-green",
   "name": "OEKO-TEX: MADE IN GREEN, supporting context only: a scheme-controlled product identifier resolving to bounded provenance information"
  }
 ],
 "glossary_terms": [
  "https://activatedigital.ai/knowledge/glossary#digital-product-passport",
  "https://activatedigital.ai/knowledge/glossary#economic-operator",
  "https://activatedigital.ai/knowledge/glossary#market-surveillance",
  "https://activatedigital.ai/knowledge/glossary#resolver"
 ],
 "watch": [],
 "decisions": [],
 "alternates": {
  "html": "https://activatedigital.ai/knowledge/evidence/verifiable-credentials",
  "markdown": "https://activatedigital.ai/knowledge/evidence/verifiable-credentials.md",
  "json": "https://activatedigital.ai/knowledge/evidence/verifiable-credentials.json"
 }
}