The government of Santa Cruz in California has decided to use blockchain technology for their services. The board members voted unanimously to use digital wallets for official documents and services during a meeting on April 25, 2023.
Starting from July 2023, the County of Santa Cruz in California will launch a three-stage pilot program to implement a white-label digital wallet powered by HUMBL. The digital wallet will be used by beta testers, such as mobile users, to access government services like registering bicycles and RV parking. The pilot program will also explore other potential uses, such as registering park facilities, tracking volunteer hours, distributing building permits, and licensing pets.
According to Zach Friend, a Santa Cruz County Supervisor, converting paper documents, records, and services into digital format is a crucial step to improve convenience, equity, and access for Santa Cruz County residents.
If the pilot program is successful, Santa Cruz County plans to release a report and a plan for the official implementation of the digital wallet by September 2023.
In April 2022, Santa Cruz Board of Supervisors collaborated with HUMBL to create a digital wallet technology infrastructure to start a pilot program. This was the beginning of the digital wallet project.
Some local residents of Santa Cruz have expressed concerns about the plans to create a digital wallet. A discussion forum on the county’s website showed that some people are worried about the potential misuse and sale of their personal information by the company providing the digital wallet technology, HUMBL. One commenter, Becky Seinbruner, even requested a pause on further developments related to the digital wallet.
In the pilot program, local officials will check if users trust the digital wallet technology and if they understand how it works. The county will provide a report and plan for the digital wallet by September 2023.
Santa Cruz County is part of a trend where governments use blockchain technology for better management of public records and services. By using blockchain technology, governments can make transactions transparent and tamper-proof, leading to better trust and efficiency in government services.
Even though using blockchain has many benefits, people are still concerned about their privacy and data safety. For example, Becky Seinbruner raised a concern about the inappropriate use of personal data by the infrastructure provider HUMBL. To address these concerns, it is important for governments to work with partners who have a good reputation for protecting privacy and data security.
In summary, Santa Cruz County’s use of blockchain technology for government services is an exciting development. This move can help make services more efficient and accessible, which is great for citizens and the economy. However, it is important to address privacy and security concerns that arise with any new technology. If done carefully, blockchain can be a useful tool for modernizing government services.
