Try to imagine a future where you no longer need to remember to take your driving license, health card or other documents before leaving home: everything is on your phone, just a click away. This is the dream behind EN Wallet, the digital wallet being tested in Italy, which promises to collect the essential documents of our daily lives in a single digital space. With just a smartphone, bureaucracy could become a distant memory, and endless waits at the counter an experience of the past. But how much does this convenience really cost?
IT Wallet: between futuristic visions and everyday life
Born to bring Italy up to speed with the European project of Digital Identity Wallet (EUDI Wallet), the IT Wallet is intended as a tool for quick access to documents such as driving licenses and health cards. Not only that: with IT Wallet, the aim is to include certificates, professional qualifications and other key information. For now, about 50.000 Italians are testing this innovation, while The nationwide launch is expected by the end of the year.
On the one hand, the IT Wallet seems perfect for a world that wants to digitize everything and leave paper in the past. But there is a price to pay: who controls the data we always carry with us? And what guarantees do we have that our information will not end up in the wrong hands?
What's good: More convenience, less bureaucracy
There is no doubt that IT Wallet can simplify many things. It is not only about reducing the volume of documents that we drag around with us, but also simplified and immediate access to public services. Among the main advantages we find:
- Instant accessibility: The ability to access essential documents, such as driving licences and health cards, directly from your smartphone without having to carry them in physical format.
- European interoperability: Integration with the European EUDI Wallet system will allow the use of digital documents in other countries as well, facilitating travel and administrative procedures throughout the EU.
- Versatility and adaptability: In addition to identity documents and health cards, the IT Wallet will be able to collect professional certifications and other titles, significantly simplifying bureaucracy.
- Paper reduction: Goodbye to paper and photocopies. The IT Wallet aims to reduce the use of paper, supporting the ecological transition and a more sustainable approach.
Behind the Innovation: Privacy and Security Shadows
As mentioned, not everyone is enthusiastic. And it's not just some neo-Luddites hostile to all innovations. Even some cybersecurity experts and digital rights associations they warned on potential risks. The main concerns concern:
- Risk of breaches and cyber attacks: With so much sensitive data concentrated in one app, the risk of attacks increases. Hackers may see an opportunity in the IT Wallet, and institutions must ensure that all necessary security measures are in place.
- Insufficient authentication: The current system is based on SPID or CIE, but some experts suggest introducing biometric recognition, such as facial recognition, to increase the level of security. This solution, however, raises privacy issues related to the management of biometric data.
- Data sharing at European level: While European cooperation can bring great benefits, the possibility of sharing data between countries raises questions about how and where this information will be stored and who will have access to it.
- Digital exclusion: Not everyone has access to a smartphone or a stable internet connection. This makes it difficult, especially for the elderly or those living in underserved areas, to use the IT Wallet efficiently, creating potential inequalities.
IT Wallet: Are we ready for this future?
All things considered, IT Wallet is a mix of promises and doubts. For those who dream of a future without papers and without queues, it is a long-awaited revolution. But for those who see personal data as an asset to be protected, IT Wallet is a leap in the dark, a gamble on how much we can trust having all our essential documents in a digital system.
On the one hand, there is the possibility of reducing bureaucracy and simplifying citizens' lives. On the other, a system that, while useful, concentrates all our information in a single virtual space, making us vulnerable. In this tension between innovation and control, the real questions remain open, and they are three: are we ready to sacrifice some of our privacy for convenience? How much does it really cost us to keep our identity in the palm of our hand? And above all: will you use it?
