The Brazilian city of Sao Paolo has introduced the concept of blockchain in its municipal law on data access and transparency. The blockchain concept is defined as a technology that can be useful in this field, but the city has not defined the structures or implementation for its use in the future.
Sao Paolo law introduces blockchain concept
Little by little, more use cases for blockchain, part of the technology behind cryptocurrency, are being adopted by institutions around the world. The city of Sao Paolo has included the concept of blockchain in its recently approved municipal data and transparency law as a technology that can be used to help the state complete its tasks.
In legislation, blockchain is defined as an immutable ledger that can record transactions and track assets using a computer network. While the technology is cited as a useful tool, the law does not define how it can be harnessed to make data access and transparency-related tasks more efficient.
This has led some experts to believe that the inclusion of this definition in the law is simply accidental, since the document does not indicate any method of implementation. On this, Marcelo Castro, lawyer for Machado Meyer, saying The balloon:
Institutions are recognizing blockchain as beneficial in the economy, however there is no specific command saying how the technology will be used within a timeline, and this carries a huge risk of straying into dead law.
incoming innovation
However, the lawmakers behind the document defended the approach they took to include new technologies in the law. Maria De Carli, the author of the regulation, defended the generic way in which the law mentions blockchain. De Carli told local sources that the law should not give strict use cases for the technology, as these need to be discussed with the municipal executive branch.
De Carli mentioned various uses of blockchain technology in the realm of law, such as helping in the detection of corruption cases and ensuring compliance of public servants, since the technology allows a public view of each transaction.
At the national level, other initiatives of this type are also underway. In May, the Brazilian Development Bank launched the Brazilian Blockchain network, a blockchain project that aims to serve as a foundation for other public institutions to build their decentralized applications to increase the transparency of the public function.
What do you think about the inclusion of blockchain in Sao Paolo’s data access law? Tell us in the comment section below.
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