Month: January 2025
Design and Architecture of Mobile Cross-Border Services Building Blocks
Abstract
The growing trend of mobile services usage compared to desktop services necessitates the development of mobile-accessible e-government to cater to citizens’ growing digital needs. Secure and efficient solutions for strong authentication and cross-institutional data exchange are crucial in this context, particularly within the eID (electronic Identification) and SDG (Single Digital Gateway) domains. This work presents an advanced technical architecture developed as part of the H2020 mGov4EU project, which addresses these challenges by offering a comprehensive set of mobile-tailored building blocks that could serve as a basis when using e-Government. The proposed architecture consists of four building blocks: (1) eID Interoperability System, enabling mobile-based cross-border authentication; (2) Digital Wallet System, providing a user-friendly platform for citizens to manage their eID credentials and (SDGR) evidence; (3) SDG Interoperability System, enabling efficient cross-border data exchange and user-authorization access point; and (4) eSignature Interoperability System, ensuring secure and efficient creation of electronic signatures. Integrating these building blocks, the mGov4EU project enhances the baseline of e-Government in a mobile environment.
Data Journalism in Latin America: The Duality and Tensions of Normative and Indigenous Values
Abstract
This chapter delves into the intricate landscape of data journalism in Latin America, a region marked by its rich colonial heritage, varied political interplay, and socio-cultural heterogeneities. By contrasting the aspirational democratic ideals, commonly propagated by the North American journalistic tradition, with the complex geopolitical realities of Latin America, this piece attempts to theorise the unique values shaping the region’s data journalism.
At its core, Latin American journalism has often grappled with ideals of truth, autonomy, and public service, principles deeply embedded in its historic struggle for democracy. Yet, the realisation of these principles is frequently challenged by factors such as government control, media ownership, corruption, and the lingering vestiges of authoritarianism and populism. Consequently, data journalism in the region cannot be only conceptualised in terms of data-driven narratives; the practice is deeply mediated by ontologies of resilience, resistance, and resourcefulness. The chapter further differentiates between the values that guide data journalism across distinct sub-regions: the Southern Cone, Andean nations, Caribbean Basin, Central American territories, Brazil, Mexico, and the Guianas. Despite shared overarching values of accountability, transparency, resourcefulness, protective discretion, solidarity, or innovation, to name a few, each sub-region, with its unique colonial history and contemporary political setting, displays its own specialised data journalism ethos.