Are you recycling waste, using public transportation, or simply conserving energy at home? If yes, get ready to receive rewards from Bologna.
Italy is on track to become the first country in Europe to introduce a social credit system that pays residents for “good behaviour.”
Five months from this writing, the Italian city of Bologna will launch a new pilot project that would reward individuals who exhibit excellent conduct. Proper waste disposal, recycling appropriately or taking public transportation are examples of positive conduct that will earn them points.
The municipality of Bologna is adopting the “Smart Citizen Wallet,” which allows individuals to earn digital coins in return for behavioural adjustments, according to the National Pulse. Citizens can obtain discounts at their local stores based on their scores. The program was proposed to “save resources” and promote climate-friendly practices.
Bugani explained, “The municipality will assign such citizens a score as part of a reward system with economic benefits to individual users.”
The app shall enable citizens to access their ratings, which can be improved by earning points that they may then “spend” on prizes such as rebates and cultural activities as a reward for their “virtuous behaviour.”
Bugani stated that the programme was part of a broader initiative by the city of Bologna to engage in digital innovation. “What we call a new ‘water system’ for the city is being built,” he said, adding that in coming years “many services will go digital in Italy; we have an ambitious project here that is built on solid foundations.”
According to Bologna Today, Massimo Bugani, the northern city’s councillor for the digital agenda, indicated that while the “Smart Citizen Wallet” would not be forced on anybody, he anticipates a high user adoption. The system will not be tied to internet identity or social media use for the time being.
Italy’s decision to establish a social credit score system has sparked worries about other countries and regions in the European Union using similar measures to address “social ills.” Germany and Austria, for example, have previously pushed for the implementation of their respective digital ID programmes.
In addition, these two nations are launching new platforms to integrate additional public services and identity systems, as well as digital mail and national passports. The restrictions were put in place to deal with “bureaucratic issues and [save] resources.”
Last year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen indicated an interest in adopting the “EU ID,” an identification system that would combine national identification with online registration. In a video posted to the European Commission’s YouTube account, Von De Leyen explained, “Every time an App or website asks us to create a new digital identity or to easily log via a big platform, we have no idea what happens with our data.”
“That is why the Commission will propose a secure European e-identity,” Von De Leyen argued. “One that we trust and that any citizen can use anywhere in Europe to do anything from paying taxes to renting bicycles.”
On the other hand, given Italy’s love affair with green politics, it’s predictable that social credit scoring is being applied to environmental friendliness.
According to Breitbart News, the Italian government has implemented air conditioning and heating restrictions in an effort to lessen the country’s reliance on Russian energy imports.