Idle govt apps and websites lack credibility

MANY WEBSITES of Beijing's government departments are only rarely updated, and some apps they have developed, such as the one created by the Beijing environmental monitoring center, have turned out to be rarely downloaded "zombie apps". The Beijing government has stipulated that all its official websites must be updated at least once a week and all departments have to improve their interactions with netizens. Comments:

Originally developed to improve the people's well-being, the government apps reflect the government's willingness to serve the public. But besides simply providing basic services, the developers of the apps should also develop ways to collect public opinions while safeguarding their privacy. Regular maintenance and information security are even more important for those apps which are not supposed to be a one-off.

Zhu Lijia, a professor at the National Academy of Governance in Beijing, Mar 23