Governance
Open specification. Controlled certification. A model similar to PCI or OAuth, ensuring trust while maintaining accessibility.
The governance model
Open Specification
The ACEC standard is publicly available and developed in the open. Anyone can read, implement, and contribute to the specification.
Controlled Certification
While the specification is open, certification is controlled. Clarify Systems validates implementations against the standard.
Compliance Badges
Certified implementations receive compliance badges, signaling to the market that an agent or merchant meets the execution standard.
Continuous Validation
Certification is not one-time. Implementations are monitored for ongoing compliance with the specification.
Why this model
Machine-initiated commerce requires trust at the infrastructure level. When agents execute transactions on behalf of users, all parties need assurance that the execution layer is operating correctly.
An open specification ensures no single entity controls the standard. Controlled certification ensures implementations actually work. This balance—openness with accountability—is what makes infrastructure trustworthy.
Precedent models
Clarify Systems' governance follows established patterns in infrastructure standardization.
Payment Card Industry
Open security standards with controlled audit and certification for payment processing.
OAuth
Open authorization standard with implementation guidance and conformance testing.
W3C Standards
Open web standards with community governance and implementation conformance.