Digital Services

At the 2024 Government Social Media Conference, officials shared their insight on how to operate in the changing landscape of social media. They also discussed what to expect as AI comes onto the scene.

Pending approval by the Arizona Board of Regents, the institution will offer a bachelor’s degree in AI. The new program would be housed within the department of computer science and largely use existing staff.

The Conneaut Area City Schools Board of Education voted to buy new Chromebooks and improve the sound systems at a middle school and high school. Five to 12 laptops each day, out of 1,600 total, need repairs.

Officials have leveraged digital and mobile tools to make services more widely accessible to Coloradans regardless of location. Simultaneously, they are upgrading their IT infrastructure to more modern tools.

The University of Dayton, the city of Dayton and local groups partnered to teach residents basic online skills. Visitors learned how to apply for jobs online, use mobile banking and how to set up a Google email account.

Longtime business leader Robert Ward, senior adviser to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin since 2023, has been appointed to help state officials in realizing change and modernization.

The North Dakota Hospital Association is working with a cybersecurity company and an insurance firm to offer affordable services to hospitals and health-care organizations statewide. It comes as cyber attacks on health-care groups are rising.

The Federal Communications Commission will require “nutrition label”-style information from broadband plans. Companies must reveal data to customers including broadband, bundle and discount prices; speeds; data allowances; and rental fees.

Daniel Castro, vice president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, said the U.S. Department of Justice’s rule on government content “... obligates state and local governments to ensure their online services are accessible.”

A court battle over a social media account highlights a larger issue. Even if our earthly affairs are in order when we die, privacy questions around who should own our data may be unanswered — and tough to resolve.

Huntington Beach, Calif.’s new city website, which launched Monday, eliminates nearly half the pages on its old site. A curated visitor search drives sought-after pages to the top, and the process for back-end changes has been refined.

The Red River Watershed Management Board and the Fargo-based International Water Institute debuted a Lidar database in March. It’s free to access and offers highly accurate measurements of terrain and flood control structures in the area.

The county, through its Trailability Program, is using off-road TerrainHoppers to make trails accessible to people with disabilities; this year, GPS will enable solo rides. The county is also sharing scenery information via auditory devices.

Some city sources have attributed a cyber incident in early March to ransomware, although the municipality has only called it a “network disruption.” Birmingham is using paper-based processes to pay staff, but public effects may be more minor.

Through the Federal Communications Commission, the Biden administration warned Congress Tuesday the Affordable Connectivity Program, which serves 760,000 Pennsylvania families, is within weeks of ending due to a lack of funding.

Hawaii’s capital city is piloting artificial intelligence-based software for building plan reviews, and will fully implement a new platform that went live in February. Updates to a third system are planned this year, all in the name of faster permitting.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s new License App lets users show several types of fishing licenses on their cellphones. It also enables pass-through to buy licenses via the department’s website. Next up: hunting licenses.

The Tarrant Appraisal District’s site was down for a few hours Thursday and officials are assessing the issue with cybersecurity experts. No sensitive data is believed to have been affected.