TrueScreen, the startup offering support to Emilia-Romagna; finally, tangible assistance.
The floods that have struck Emilia-Romagna have left devastating effects on the region and its local communities, leaving a trail of destruction and despair. Adding to the challenge is the uncertainty surrounding the procedures for compensating the incurred damages, with legislative measures still awaiting definition. In this challenging scenario, an innovative digital platform emerges as a technological stronghold supporting citizens: TrueScreen. A Bologna-based startup that has developed an application capable of bestowing legal and probative value on documents of all kinds, obtained through smartphone usage.
How TrueScreen Works
TrueScreen is based on a technological principle known as forensic acquisition. Utilizing artificial intelligence and algorithms protected by international patents, it can analyze any multimedia content—be it an image, video, or document—verifying its integrity and truthfulness. Essentially, the application ensures that files remain exactly as they were acquired, without any alteration or modification.
This tool proves especially valuable in situations like the present one, marked by emergencies and natural disasters. With the assistance of TrueScreen, residents in flood-affected areas can provide undeniable evidence of the damages suffered, which can be used to claim insurance compensations or assert their rights in the appropriate legal channels.
Fabio Ugolini, the founder of TrueScreen and a resident of Lugo in the province of Ravenna—one of the areas hardest hit by the floods—has taken the plight of those affected to heart and decided to offer the TrueScreen service for free. Typically, the application operates on a credit-based payment system. In this emergency situation, Ugolini has set aside economic considerations in favor of solidarity and aiding distressed populations.
The cost-free service translates to tangible assistance in expediting bureaucracy and facilitating compensation claims. The government is expected to establish the methods and amounts of compensations. Currently, only the “maltempo” (bad weather) decree has been approved, outlining a series of emergency support measures and tax exemptions. Therefore, it is fundamental to gather as much evidence as possible of the incurred damages. Thanks to TrueScreen, this evidence holds undeniable legal value.
TrueScreen and Emilia-Romagna: A Profound Connection
Ugolini has stated that he does not seek publicity or financial benefits from his initiative. His intention is to aid his community in a time of great hardship. “I don’t want publicity, and I won’t profit from this,” he explained to QN. “But these devastated places are the ones to which I belong, and I had to do something. The sense of solidarity I see is incredible, but I worry about the future, about the moment when the adrenaline subsides, and we have to take stock of the damages.”
To facilitate the process, municipalities have urged citizens to retain content that can provide testimony of the damages incurred. This could include photos of objects, furniture, vehicles, and other possessions damaged by the floods. Thanks to the TrueScreen app, these images can be certified and stored with legal value.
With the TrueScreen app, flood-affected individuals can obtain a photographic report equipped with authentic data and a digital signature. The documents generated by the app are digitally signed and timestamped by Intesa, an accredited certifying body within the IBM Group. These documents incorporate all the necessary technical parameters to precisely define the context in which the damage occurred. In essence, they are digital proof documents that adhere to the primary international directives in this field.
Thanks to TrueScreen, flood-affected individuals in Emilia-Romagna have an additional tool to assert their rights and obtain the compensations they are entitled to.
How to Certify Data: The Steps
The TrueScreen app can be downloaded from both Android and the App Store. Once installed, simply tap the “Certify Flood Damages” banner to begin collecting and certifying evidence of the damages incurred. The app prompts you to enter personal details, a description of the damages suffered, and corresponding images. Upon completing the process, the user receives an email containing a link to download a compressed .zip file. This file includes the report, original photos, the digital signature, and the timestamp.
Ugolini emphasized how insurance companies readily accept documents provided by his application. “With the information from the report, it’s not possible to contest the information and photographs,” he added. “We’re accepted by insurance companies precisely because we’re capable of adhering to all internationally established guidelines. And we’re the only ones doing so.”
However, TrueScreen isn’t limited to certifying only photos or videos—it can certify virtually any type of document or multimedia file. These include screenshots, phone screen recordings, audio recordings, and location information. The versatility of TrueScreen makes this tool particularly valuable in a variety of contexts, not just in emergencies like the situation in Emilia-Romagna.
To ensure maximum usability of the service, TrueScreen has provided citizens with a dedicated email address, alluvione-er@truescreen.io, for inquiries or clarifications. Additionally, a tutorial detailing how to use the application is available on YouTube.
TrueScreen: Solidarity Technology in the Heart of Flood-Stricken Emilia-Romagna
At a time when those affected by the floods in Emilia-Romagna are facing uncertainty and hardship, TrueScreen offers tangible assistance. It provides technology that can certify the suffered damages and simplify the compensation claiming process. This not only speeds up bureaucratic procedures but also provides a guarantee of transparency and legality—crucial aspects in a context demanding solidarity and cooperation.
Fabio Ugolini’s decision to make the TrueScreen service freely available underscores how technology can be a powerful tool for solidarity and community support. In the challenging period following the emergency, those impacted by the floods will have a tool at their disposal that will contribute to streamlining the reconstruction and compensation processes. Amid a crisis that has shaken Emilia-Romagna and Italy, the innovation and commitment of startups like TrueScreen offer a concrete hope for a better future.
Extracted from Sicurezza.net