# Why a Document Cannot Be Its Own Identity Witness

A file can carry a claimed signer name, but independent identity assurance requires evidence outside the claim being evaluated.

## Verification boundary

Structure, exact-state integrity, signature validity, signer identity, trusted time and current status are separate questions. Integrity does not prove content truth. A claimed identity inside a document is not independent identity evidence.

Canonical source: https://universaldocument.org/verify/articles/document-not-own-witness