/i/2004838090.png?fit=%2C&ssl=1)
The Belgian government is working on a ‘WhatsApp-like’ messaging app to communicate with citizens. These messages will be ‘messages of the public interest’. Belgium already has an emergency system with BE-Alert, but it works with SMS.
The new app allows the government to send photos, longer texts and links to videos, says responsible official Frank Robben against La Libre according to HLN† These are messages sent in the context of ‘public utility’, such as messages about health, flood risks ‘or crises such as Ukraine’.
What the app should be called is still unknown, there are no screenshots yet. Robben says that the app can be ready in two weeks and that users will receive notifications of new messages. These messages will also not contain any personal information. The app cost 50,000 euros.
It is not clear whether the new app will co-exist or replace BE-Alert. BE-Alert works with SMS, which means that governments can send messages with a maximum of 140 characters. This system can also be expensive ‘if you know that there are 19.6 billion transactions between health care providers among all citizens’.
Robben is responsible for several government projects in Belgium, such as the eHealth platform for accessing health data and the non-profit organization Smals, an IT service provider for the government. Robben was previously also a supervisor at the Belgian Data Protection Authority, but resigned after criticism from the European Commission.
–
