E-government uses technology to improve government processes and services, including non-Internet applications like telephones and surveillance systems. New opportunities for managing government activities online are emerging, including using cell phones for emergency alerts and information. Electronic voting is a debated area due to security concerns and lack of universal access.
E-government is an umbrella term that describes the use of technologies to facilitate the functioning of government and the delivery of government information and services. The term is a shorthand for the phrase “electronic government” and is primarily concerned with Internet applications to help governments. It also covers a variety of non-Internet related issues.
In a general sense, e-government can refer to such mundane uses of electronics in government as the large-scale use of telephones and fax machines, surveillance systems, tracking systems such as RFID tags, and even the use of television and radio to disseminate government-related information. In this sense, it is by no means a new phenomenon. The use of radio waves to broadcast disaster warnings or to provide voting information has been around for many years. In many countries with state-run media, all media becomes a form of e-government, helping to spread pro-government messages.
New non-Internet applications offer the promise of streamlining government processes and improving functionality. Government systems for tracking citizens, ubiquitous surveillance, and biometric identification are some applications that have many privacy advocates concerned about the growing role of government in people’s lives.
With the growing pervasiveness of the Internet, new opportunities for managing government activities online are becoming available. Providing welfare programs, managing public works projects, and providing online information about representatives are all examples of e-government in action.
In addition to the Internet, cell phones offer an even more convenient channel through which to distribute government information. Using text messaging, governments are able to send out regionally specific emergency alerts, provide up-to-date information upon request, and essentially make government accessible to the people, no matter where they are, at any time.
One area that has been the subject of much discussion and debate is finding a way to implement electronic voting on everything from public measures to the election of representatives. Security concerns and lack of universal access to the technology have slowed the implementation of electronic voting, but many proponents believe it is simply a matter of time before these concerns are sufficiently addressed and become standard.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
