OPM Releases First Round of Tech Force Candidates for Agencies to Consider Hiring
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued its first two shared certificates for software‑engineering and data‑engineering candidates, making a vetted pool of talent available to federal agencies for two‑year temporary roles. Each candidate has cleared a technical assessment, resume review and screening interview, streamlining the traditionally slow government hiring process. The Tech Force program aims to recruit about 1,000 early‑career technologists initially, part of a broader goal to shift 60% of federal hires to shared certificates. Agencies such as the VA are already accelerating hiring to address a net loss of federal staff.
New Zealand Panel Recommends Under-16 Social Media Restrictions
A New Zealand parliamentary committee has recommended restricting social‑media access for users under 16 and creating an independent national online‑safety regulator. The ACT party issued a dissent, warning that the required age‑verification would effectively impose mandatory digital ID on all...
MEPs Call for New Copyright Rules when AI Trains on Protected Works
The European Parliament overwhelmingly approved a non‑binding report urging new copyright rules for AI, calling for payment to creators, mandatory itemised lists of works used in training, an opt‑out mechanism, and licensing enforcement. The 460‑71 vote signals pressure on the...
Camera Registries Can Support Public-Private Collaboration
City officials and private businesses are adopting camera‑registry programs to streamline video evidence collection for investigations. Registrants voluntarily share camera locations, enabling police to map assets and request footage through secure cloud portals. Coupled with digital evidence‑management platforms, agencies gain...
Egypt Pilots Selfie Biometrics to Streamline Access to Digital Govt Services
Egypt has launched a pilot of the MOIEG-PASS app, a selfie‑biometric platform that combines national‑ID scanning with facial recognition to authenticate users for select government services. The initiative is a joint effort by the Ministries of Interior and Communications and...
New York Lawmaker Wants Moratorium on Sale of AI Chatbot-Enabled Kids’ Toys
New York State Senator Andrew Gounardes is drafting a bill that would place a moratorium on the sale of AI‑enabled, chatbot‑powered toys for children. The legislation comes as AI‑infused plush toys and dolls, already popular in China, are gaining traction...
Lightpath Streamlines Access to Federal Agency Deals
Lightpath has secured a General Services Administration Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contract, enabling federal agencies to procure its AI‑grade fiber infrastructure through the GSA eBuy platform. The agreement also extends to state, local, and education (SLED) agencies via cooperative purchasing,...
AirData Launches Dedicated Public Safety Program for Law Enforcement, Fire, and Emergency Response Agencies Worldwide
AirData, the world’s leading drone fleet management platform, has unveiled a dedicated Public Safety Program aimed at law‑enforcement, fire and emergency response agencies across 60 regions. The service promises a guided, self‑serve onboarding that can activate an agency’s account in...
Lawmakers Consider Bill that Would Keep Private Keys Private in Rhode Island
Rhode Island lawmakers are reviewing Bill H7957, which would prohibit courts and government agencies from compelling individuals to surrender private cryptographic keys that unlock cryptocurrency wallets and other digital assets. The legislation allows subpoenas for digital assets but limits requests...
BlueGenAI and Thunderyard Partner to Accelerate Government Modernization with AI
BlueGenAI and Thunderyard announced a strategic partnership to accelerate government modernization. The deal combines BlueGenAI’s AI‑powered GMAP platform with Thunderyard’s federal delivery expertise. GMAP automates legacy system ingestion, requirements generation, design, build and deployment, aiming to reduce risk and compress...
3 Ways Federal IT Leaders Can Maximize Existing Tech
Federal IT leaders are urged to extract more value from the cloud, VPNs, and collaboration tools acquired during the pandemic as agencies navigate return‑to‑office mandates. Optimizing platforms like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet, expanding zero‑trust and endpoint management, and...
UK Government Pivots Its Digital ID Pitch to War on Red Tape
The UK government released a digital ID consultation, recasting the programme from a migration‑control tool to a means of simplifying citizen interactions with public services. The proposal now lets individuals choose between a government‑issued credential, private‑sector alternatives, or traditional documents,...
Skyhigh Security Achieves FedRAMP High Authorization for Skyhigh DSPM
Skyhigh Security announced that its Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) solution has earned FedRAMP High authorization, the most rigorous cloud security certification for U.S. federal agencies. The DSPM now joins Skyhigh’s CASB and Secure Web Gateway as FedRAMP‑certified offerings, meeting...
Nigeria Considers Age Restrictions for Children on Social Media
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, launched a public consultation on child online safety, proposing possible age limits and stronger verification for social‑media accounts. The consultation, open to parents, educators, youth and digital professionals, will gather...
DRC Boosts Oil Revenue and Fights Fraud with Innovative Fuel Traceability Program
The Democratic Republic of Congo has launched a molecular marking program for petroleum products, using invisible chemical tracers to track fuel from import to retail. Partnering with Authentix Inc., the initiative aims to curb smuggling and improve tax compliance. Early...
Kenya’s Taxman Turns to Surveillance Tech to Root Out Customs Corruption
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has begun deploying about 350 body‑worn cameras to customs officers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, supported by a new Central Command Centre that records and monitors interactions in real time. The initiative targets long‑standing bribery...
New Body to Drive Transformation in Health and Care in Scotland
The Scottish Government will launch Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSD Scotland) on 1 April 2026, merging NHS Education for Scotland and NHS National Services Scotland into a single body. PSD Scotland will lead workforce planning, infrastructure, innovation and, crucially, digital transformation across...
Met Police to ‘Trial’ Handheld Facial Recognition Tech
London’s Metropolitan Police will pilot Operator‑Initiated Facial Recognition (OIFR), a handheld app that matches live facial images to police databases. The six‑month trial, budgeted at £763,000, will deploy about 100 devices and is overseen by the Mayor’s office and the...
Pressure on Tech Firms Grows Amid Government Safety Crackdown
The UK government is tightening its grip on digital platforms to safeguard women and girls online. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall warned Snapchat, Meta, YouTube and TikTok to accelerate safety measures or face regulatory action. Recent policies include a 48‑hour takedown...
Estonia Is Preparing a Single Platform for Public Transport Tickets
Estonia is launching MaaS X‑tee, a unified digital ticketing platform that will let passengers plan trips and buy tickets across trains, buses, trams, ferries, micromobility and car rentals from a single interface. The Estonian Government Chancellery and Transport Authority awarded Turnit...
Civil Liberties Group to Intervene in Ontario Court of Appeal Case Involving Facial Recognition Tech
The Ontario Court of Appeal granted the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) permission to intervene in R. v. Kawall, a criminal appeal concerning the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) and a photograph taken in a public place. The trial...
MHCLG Overhauls Open Data Platform
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is overhauling its Open Data Communities (ODC) platform to meet modern open‑data standards. A new cloud‑hosted URL will improve reliability, while the Indices of Multiple Deprivation will be published in CSVW...
Scaling Digital Learning in Public Education: What Governments and Industry Must Get Right
The International Day for Digital Learning highlights how public education has rapidly embraced digital tools after COVID‑19 forced school closures for 1.6 billion learners. By 2023 the global e‑learning market surpassed $300 billion, driven by adaptive platforms, AI analytics, and hybrid classroom...
Treasury to Become Agile with Coaching From Red Badger
HM Treasury has awarded a £17,000 contract to Red Badger to create an Agile Practice Service for its Corporate Centre Group. The three‑month engagement, running from 12 January to 31 March 2026, will deliver a standardized Agile model, toolkit and light‑touch standards. Red...
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Authority Launches Digital Badge
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has launched a digital‑badge scheme to help young people showcase skills to employers. Partnering with the Region of Learning, the programme targets NEET individuals and embeds badges in the Youth Guarantee and regional internships....
CalMac Ferries Looks to Welcome New Digital Partner
Scotland’s publicly owned CalMac Ferries has launched a £7.5 million, five‑year tender to find a strategic digital partner for its customer‑facing platform. The existing system, built on the open‑source Umbraco CMS and hosted on Microsoft Azure, supports three websites and mobile...
MeitY Awaiting Industry Inputs on Plans to Slash Timeline for Data Protection Compliance: S Krishnan
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is considering shortening the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) compliance window for significant data fiduciaries from 18 months to 12 months. The proposal is still under review, with the government awaiting detailed...
Wage Protection System Coming Into Effect in Bahrain
Bahrain is launching a Wage Protection System (WPS) that obliges all employers to disburse salaries via licensed banks or Central Bank‑regulated payment providers, creating an electronic audit trail of wage payments. The reform replaces fragmented payment methods with a unified,...
Sellafield Ltd Floats Streamlined £90m IT and Hosting Plan
Sellafield Ltd, the government‑owned operator of the UK’s nuclear waste‑processing site, has revised its IT procurement strategy, moving from a two‑lot approach to a single, consolidated contract for hosted infrastructure and application management. The new seven‑year deal is valued at...
Does Transformation Need a Transformation?
PublicTechnology editor Sam Trendall argues that the term “transformation” has become a hollow buzzword in the UK public sector, diluting its impact. Repeated grandiose language around digital change is causing staff disengagement and masking the reality of delayed, under‑funded programmes....
Government to Review Guidance on WhatsApp Usage
The UK Cabinet Office’s non‑corporate communication guidance (NCCC), refreshed in April 2023 after a decade, was slated for a review by 31 December 2025 but has not yet been examined. Constitution minister Nick Thomas‑Symonds confirmed a forthcoming review of both the guidance and...
Using Legal Choices “Improves Understanding”
Research by Mustard for the Legal Choices portal shows that 29 of 40 participants reported increased knowledge of their legal issue after using the site. Half of the users felt more confident, and 15 said the experience influenced their next...
BEAD Bargaining: A $21 Billion AI Question Looms
Congressional Democrats are pressing the NTIA for guidance on how the $21 billion in BEAD non‑deployment funds will be allocated, especially regarding states that enact AI regulations. The NTIA delayed its expected guidance to gather more feedback at its State Broadband...
The Next Horizon for Digital Government: Readying for the AI Era
Australia’s digital government score rose to 69.4 in the 2025 Adobe Digital Government Index, narrowing the gap with the United Kingdom. While digital self‑service improves, customer‑experience metrics slipped, exposing friction at transaction points. With 94 percent of citizens using agency websites...
Singapore: AI, Smart Technology for Next-Gen Maritime Sector
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is fast‑tracking AI and digital technologies to modernise the nation’s maritime sector. Central to the effort is the Maritime Singapore Master Plan, which promotes autonomous vessels, AI‑driven analytics and a Maritime Digital...
Australia: Digital Health System Strengthens NSW Rural Healthcare
Australia’s Western NSW Local Health District has deployed a virtual support service that continuously monitors patient data across 35 rural hospitals. Algorithm‑driven early warning scores flag clinical deterioration in real time, allowing clinicians at a central hub to alert frontline...
Malaysia: New Digital Platform Advances Smart Construction
Malaysia's Construction Industry Development Board launched the Digital Construction Management platform, a centralized web‑based system that integrates Building Information Modelling and other digital tools to streamline construction workflows. The platform provides real‑time data sharing across design, planning, construction, and maintenance,...
After Deep Staffing Cuts, Agencies Seek Mix of Hiring and AI Tools to Rebuild Capacity
Federal agencies are grappling with massive staffing cuts from the Trump administration, with the General Services Administration shedding nearly 40% of its workforce and the Environmental Protection Agency losing about a quarter. To restore capacity, both agencies are deploying artificial‑intelligence...
Trump Administration Will Test Infrastructure Cybersecurity Approaches in Pilot Program
The Trump administration announced a pilot program to test cybersecurity technologies with specific critical‑infrastructure sectors, including Texas water utilities, South Dakota beef processors, and rural hospitals. National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross emphasized rapid deployment and the rejection of a universal,...
INTERTRAFFIC: Quarterhill Brings Integrated Enforcement and Tolling Tech
Quarterhill is unveiling a comprehensive suite of enforcement, tolling and roadway intelligence solutions at Intertraffic Amsterdam 2026. The portfolio includes Virtual Weight Station 2.0, Direct Enforcement, SensorLine fibre‑optic detection, RedFox multi‑sensor portal and the cloud‑based Icoms Analytics Platform with AI‑enabled...
New Jersey to Use AI to Score Standardized Writing Tests
New Jersey will deploy an artificial‑intelligence system to score most writing portions of its new adaptive statewide assessments for grades 3‑10 and high‑school juniors. The AI engine, trained on human‑scored practice tests, will automatically grade essays and short answers, flagging...
WV Superintendent Tells Congress States Need Flexibility on AI
West Virginia Superintendent Michele Blatt testified before the U.S. House Education Subcommittee, highlighting the state’s flexible, checklist‑style guidance for AI use in K‑12 classrooms. The guidance, first issued in January 2024, has already been revised twice to keep pace with...
Fact or Fallacy: Digital Workplaces Involve Far More Than Purchasing Solutions
The article separates digital workplaces from broader digital transformation, emphasizing that they are purpose‑built ecosystems for remote and hybrid work. It debunks common myths—such as the notion that digital workplaces are purely technology projects or cause downtime—by highlighting flexibility, productivity,...
EU Kicks Off Panel Discussions on Social Media Age Restrictions
On Thursday the European Commission convened its first expert panel to discuss age‑restriction policies for social media, gaming, messaging apps and AI. Simultaneously, the EU is piloting its privacy‑preserving Age Verification app in five member states—Denmark, Greece, Spain, France and...
EU Can Rein in AI Agents with EUDI Wallets and Business Wallets: WE BUILD
The WE BUILD consortium urges the EU to adopt a coordinated framework that embeds AI agents within the European Digital Identity (EUDI) and Business Wallet ecosystems. By leveraging verifiable credentials and cryptographic signatures, the proposal aims to secure agentic commerce—transactions...
CISA Delays Cyber Incident Reporting Town Halls Due to Shutdown
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has postponed its scheduled town‑hall meetings on the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act (CIRCIA) because the Department of Homeland Security remains shut down. The agency also warned that the shutdown will...
New License Plate Recognition Technology to Streamline Parking at South Bend International Airport
South Bend International Airport will roll out ticketless parking using license‑plate recognition technology from March 4 to March 6, weather permitting. Drivers will scan QR codes, register their plate and payment details, and exit without stopping at a gate. The system supports...
Indonesia to Ban Under-16s From Social Media, Implement Standard-Based Age Checks
Indonesia will ban social‑media access for users under 16, deactivating accounts on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, Threads, YouTube, Bigo Live and Roblox starting March 28. The policy follows the 2025 Regulation No. 17 on electronic system governance and aligns the country with...
Michigan Capitol Deploys Drone Traffic Platform to Monitor Skies
Michigan’s State Capitol has fully deployed Airspace Link’s AirHub Portal, a drone operations management system that provides real‑time monitoring of both unmanned and manned aircraft over the Capitol complex. The platform aggregates data from Remote ID, ADS‑B, radar, RF detectors...
New Mexico Program to Give Low-Income Assistance for Broadband
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Senate Bill 152, creating the Low‑Income Telecommunications Assistance Program. The law earmarks $10 million from the State Rural Universal Service Fund to reimburse providers offering reduced‑rate broadband to qualifying households. It targets students at risk,...