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\"Pegasus is widely regarded as the most effective and sought-after cyber-surveillance system on the market. The system's creator, the NSO Group, a private corporation headquartered in Israel, is not shy about proclaiming its ability to thwart terrorists and criminals. \"Thousands of people in Europe owe their lives to hundreds of our company employees,\" NSO's cofounder declared in 2019. This bold assertion may be true, at least in part, but it's by no means the whole story. NSO's Pegasus system has not been limited to catching bad guys. It's also been used to spy on hundreds, and maybe thousands, of innocent people around the world: heads of state, diplomats, human rights defenders, political opponents, and journalists. This spyware is as insidious as it is invasive, capable of infecting a private cell phone without alerting the owner, and of doing its work in the background, in silence, virtually undetectable. Pegasus can track a person's daily movement in real time, gain control of the device's microphones and cameras at will, and capture all videos, photos, emails, texts, and passwords-encrypted or not. This data can be exfiltrated, stored on outside servers, and then leveraged to blackmail, intimidate, and silence the victims. Its full reach is not yet known. \"If they've found a way to hack one iPhone,\" says Edward Snowden, \"they've found a way to hack all iPhones.\" Pegasus is a look inside the monthslong worldwide investigation, triggered by a single spectacular leak of data, and a look at how an international consortium of reporters and editors revealed that cyber intrusion and cyber surveillance are happening with exponentially increasing frequency across the globe, at a scale that astounds. Meticulously reported and masterfully written, Pegasus shines a light on the lives that have been turned upside down by this unprecedented threat and exposes the chilling new ways authoritarian regimes are eroding key pillars of democracy: privacy, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech\"-- Provided by publisher.

The article reflects on the management of the Federal Network of Professional, Scientific and Technological Education, above all the scenario of a former Federal Agrotechnical School, currently Campus of a Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology. It redeems the theoretical debate about the democratic management of education and analyzes the contradictions present in the day to day life of this institution in the light of the legislation, of the theoretical debate, and of the testimonies of the internal community from the moment at which the direct election for a diretor was instituted. The conclusion is reached of a slow and procedural advance in the direction of understanding the theoretical debate, explaining advances in some cases and authoritarian and non-participative reminiscences in others. Keywords: Education Management. Professional Education. Election of Directors. O artigo reflete sobre a gestao da Rede Federal de Educacao Profissional, Cientifica e Tecnologica, sobretudo o cenario de uma antiga Escola Agrotecnica Federal, atualmente Campus de um Instituto Federal de Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia. Resgata o debate teorico sobre gestao democratica da educacao e analisa as contradicoes presentes no cotidiano dessa instituicao a luz da legislacao, do debate teorico e depoimentos da comunidade interna a partir do momento em que foi instituida a eleicao direta para diretor. Chega-se a conclusao de um avancar lento e processual em direcao a compreensao do debate teorico explicitando avancos em alguns casos e reminiscencias autoritarias e nao participativas em outros. Palavras-chave: Gestao da Educacao. Educacao Profissional. Eleicao de Diretores.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0336997.].

This paper investigates how citizens’ uncertainty in e-government services can be managed. First, we draw from uncertainty reduction theory, and propose that transparency and trust are two key means of reducing citizens’ uncertainty in e-government services. Second, we identify two key sets of relevant drivers of e-government service use: (1) information quality characteristics, i.e., accuracy and completeness; and (2) channel characteristics, i.e., convenience and personalization. We propose that the means of uncertainty reduction, information quality characteristics, and channel characteristics are interrelated factors that jointly influence citizens’ intentions to use e-government. We tested our model with 4,430 Hong Kong citizens’ reactions to two e-government services: government websites and online appointment booking. Our results show that the information quality and channel characteristics predict citizens’ intentions to use e-government. Furthermore, transparency and trust mediate as well as moderate the effects of information quality and channel characteristics on intentions. A follow-up survey found that citizens’ intentions predict use and ultimately, citizens’ satisfaction.

The revolution in improving services to the community carried out by the current government is genuine. It is not easy for government organizations, especially local governments, to directly implement e-government services in full. One solution that is considered appropriate and can solve these problems is the application of cloud computing to support e-government services in local governments. The advantage of cloud computing for e-government is that it can increase security. In contrast, cloud-based storage can be valuable because data stored in cloud computing is guaranteed secure and various regulations and standards of information safety practices. We propose a systematic literature review approach to analyze trends in studies on cloud computing of e-government. This research is a type of descriptive qualitative research using a bibliometric approach. To assess the trend of cloud computing in e-government, we use CiteSpace’s latest bibliometric software to achieve a comprehensive knowledge overview of cloud computing in e-government. The Findings of this paper reveal a dynamic scenario influenced by advancing technological progress and administrative priorities. Across the globe, governments are progressively acknowledging the capacity of cloud computing to improve the effectiveness, accessibility, and scalability of e-government services. Overall, challenges persist, spanning from concerns regarding data safekeeping and privacy, but it also signifies a strategic transition towards harnessing digital technologies to provide more agile, citizen-focused public services.

Aim/Purpose: This study investigates the drivers of user satisfaction in e-government services and its influence on continued use intention and citizen trust in government. It employs the integration of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Information System Success Model (ISSM). Background: Electronic government, transforming citizen-state interactions, has gained momentum worldwide, including in India, where the aim is to leverage technology to improve citizen services, streamline administration, and engage the public. While prior research has explored factors influencing citizen satisfaction with e-government services globally, this area of study has been relatively unexplored in India, particularly in the post-COVID era. Challenges to widespread e-government adoption in India include a large and diverse population, limited digital infrastructure in rural areas, low digital literacy, and weak data protection regulations. Additionally, global declines in citizen trust, attributed to economic concerns, corruption, and information disclosures, further complicate the scenario. This study seeks to investigate the influence of various factors on user satisfaction and continuance usage of e-government services in India. It also aims to understand how these services contribute to building citizens’ trust in government. Methodology: The data were collected by utilizing survey items on drivers of e-government services, user satisfaction, citizen trust, and continuance use intention derived from existing literature on information systems and e-government. Responses from 501 Indian participants, collected using an online questionnaire, were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Contribution: This study makes a dual contribution to the e-government domain. First, it introduces a comprehensive research model that examines factors influencing users’ satisfaction and continuance intention with e-government services. The proposed model integrates the TAM and ISSM. Combining these models allows for a comprehensive examination of e-government satisfaction and continued intention. By analyzing the impact of user satisfaction on continuance intention and citizen trust through an integrated model, researchers and practitioners gain insights into the complex dynamics involved. Second, the study uncovers the effects of residential status on user satisfaction, trust, and continuance intention regarding e-government services. Findings reveal disparities in the influence of system and service quality on user satisfaction across different user segments. Researchers and policymakers should consider these insights when designing e-government services to ensure user satisfaction, continuance intention, and the building of citizen trust. Findings: The findings indicate that the quality of information, service, system, and perceived usefulness play important roles in user satisfaction with e-government services. All hypothesized paths were significant, except for perceived ease of use. Furthermore, the study highlights that user satisfaction significantly impacts citizen trust and continuance use intention. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings suggest that government authorities should focus on delivering accurate, comprehensive, and timely information in a secure, glitch-free, and user-friendly digital environment. Implementing an interactive and accessible interface, ensuring compatibility across devices, and implementing swift query resolution mechanisms collectively contribute to improving users’ satisfaction. Conducting awareness and training initiatives, providing 24×7 access to online tutorials, helpdesks, technical support, clear FAQs, and integrating AI-driven customer service support can further ensure a seamless user experience. Government institutions should leverage social influence, community engagement, and social media campaigns to enhance user trust. Promotional campaigns, incentive programs, endorsements, and user testimonials should be used to improve users’ satisfaction and continuance intention. Recommendation for Researchers: An integrated model combining TAM and ISSM offers a robust approach for thoroughly analyzing the diverse factors influencing user satisfaction and continuance intention in the evolving digitalization landscape of e-government services. This expansion, aligning with ISSM’s perspective, enhances the literature by demonstrating how user satisfaction impacts continuance usage intention and citizen trust in e-government services in India and other emerging economies. Impact on Society: Examining the factors influencing user satisfaction and continuance intention in e-government services and their subsequent impact on citizen trust carries significant societal implications. The findings can contribute to the establishment of transparent and accountable governance practices, fostering a stronger connection between governments and their citizens. Future Research: There are several promising avenues to explore to enhance future research. Expanding the scope by incorporating a larger sample size could enable a more thorough analysis. Alternatively, delving into the performance of specific e-government services would offer greater precision, considering that this study treats e-government services generically. Additionally, incorporating in-depth interviews and longitudinal studies would yield a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamic evolution of digitalization.

The digital divide in Europe has not yet been bridged and thus more contributions towards understanding the factors affecting the different dimensions involved are required. This research offers some insights into the topic by analyzing the e-Government adoption or practical use of e-Government across Europe (26 EU countries). Based on the data provided by the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat), we defined two indexes, the E-Government Use Index (EGUI) and an extreme version of it taking into account only null or complete use (EGUI+), and characterized the use/non use of e-Government tools using supervised learning procedures in a selection of countries with different e-Government adoption levels. These procedures achieved an average accuracy of 73% and determined the main factors related to the practical use of e-Government in each of the countries, e.g. the frequency of buying goods over the Internet or the education level. In addition, we compared the proposed indexes to other indexes measuring the level of e-readiness of a country such as the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) its Online Service Index (OSI) component, the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) and its Government usage component (GU). The ranking comparison found that EGUI+ is correlated with the four indexes mentioned at 0.05 significance level, as the majority of countries were ranked in similar positions. The outcomes contribute to gaining understanding about the factors influencing the use of e-Government in Europe and the different adoption levels.

Social media have become vital tools for governments during public health crises, enabling the timely dissemination of critical information, health guidance, and public engagement. In China, public engagement through social media, particularly TikTok, presents unique challenges during crises. This study investigates the factors that predict public engagement via the Chinese government's TikTok during a public health emergency, focusing on the roles of information quality, source credibility, multiple cues, immediate feedback, and trust as a mediating variable. The study is grounded in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) and Media Richness Theory (MRT) to frame the relationships between these variables. Data were collected through an online questionnaire survey employing convenience sampling, involving 614 respondents aged 18-40 from Hebei Province, China. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using SPSS, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the hypotheses. The findings indicate that information quality and immediate feedback are significantly positively associated with public engagement via the Chinese government's TikTok. However, source credibility and multiple cues did not have a positive impact on public engagement. Additionally, the study reveals that trust mediates the relationships between information quality, source credibility, and immediate feedback with public engagement. These results underscore the importance of trust in fostering public engagement and highlight the potential for enhancing government communication strategies on social media during crises. The study suggests that improving the quality of information and providing timely feedback can significantly increase public engagement through social media platforms like TikTok, particularly in the context of public health emergencies.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/5736530.].[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/5736530.].

Increased technology adoption has significantly transformed how governments interact with citizens. Today, e-government services and tools are integral to modern public administration. Factors affecting users’ adoption of e-government services have been studied in the past. However, this study focuses on citizens’ acceptance and resistance to such services, which have not been thoroughly explored. This study addresses the gap by examining the facilitators and inhibitors affecting users’ perceptions of the Digital Municipal Service System (DMSS). An integrated research model was developed based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) framework. Using Smart-PLS, the study validated 353 respondents’ data collected from Bangladesh. The study revealed that platform quality, convenience, social, and inclusiveness values significantly influenced attitudes toward DMSS adoption. On the other hand, tradition and usage barriers significantly negatively impacted attitudes toward DMSS adoption. These findings offer important insights for policymakers involved in developing and implementing e-government services in emerging economies such as Bangladesh. The study also provides a foundation for further research on technology adoption.