Government is the largest collector and provider of information about citizens. The introduction of e-government has fueled the increased demand for the collection, storing processing, and distribution of personal data about citizens. Almost every major event in a person’s life is recorded in a public record and maintained in government databases.
Access to Public Records
As citizens gain more experience with today’s ubiquitous mobile technologies, and accessing information resources from private sector services, a similar level of service is being expected from government entities. According to Mikael Wiberg in his 2005 book ‘The Interaction Society’, “these technologies [are] ensuring that all citizens belong to the ‘interactive society’. From a public policy perspective, public access to information serves an important function in the development of a citizen-centric environment.
Several benefits can be attributed to the access of public records. First, it allows for productive use of databases, and creates efficient network communications that are characteristic of a knowledge-based society. Second, it is here that the principles of transparency, accountability, legitimacy, and democracy in government activities all contribute to an open yet informed society and effective governance.