15 Jul 2024
Top mobile app development concerns for government entities

Shaun Bell

The ever-evolving realm of technology gave rise to mobile apps that have made life significantly easy for individuals by making it convenient to perform any task from any corner of the world as long as they have an internet connection.
With the rapidly changing technological world, to address growing difficulties quickly, the government must stay current with the latest trends and technology that are developed regularly. The Australian government has taken up the challenge and has been adopting the latest technologies in mobile app development to solve and improve public services available to the people.
Mobile apps have become an integral part of everyone’s life, impacting how people interact with each other, work or shop by providing instant access to services, streamlining communication, and offering personalized experiences at our fingertips. However, it is comparatively less complicated for individuals to develop an app catering to the unique needs of individuals than a government planning to build an app to cater to the larger population of the country.
While creating an app, a government entity needs to keep individuals’ privacy and security needs as a priority to ensure sensitive data is protected, and the app complies with the country’s relevant regulations. The app development becomes difficult because a government body handles delicate information like personal health and money records that need to be safeguarded from cyber threats and hackers.
Were you aware that every country has its privacy settings and rules when creating an app? Australia, similar to any other nation, has security guidelines it must follow while developing apps to prevent repercussions such as legal battles or removal of the apps.
Nowadays, minor legal issues regarding mobile app development have dire consequences for both the app development process and the company which developed it. With 89% of Australians using smartphones daily and over 46% choosing iPhone against 54% who prefer Android, it is no wonder the mobile App market is booming at lightning speed. Mobile app development has grown significantly with time, making it a profitable venture for entrepreneurs.
However, dealing with its legal aspect during implementation became a crucial part of the process. Legal issues in mobile app development support regulations that favour developers, users, and businesses alike, securing compliance with regulatory requirements.

Need For Strict Guidelines And Rules To Develop An App-
The changing times require app development companies to change with them if they want to survive in the app development industry and gain a loyal customer base without facing legal issues and penalties for minor mistakes on their part.
The rapid growth in app demand has led app development companies, specifically government entities, to develop apps catering to unique individual needs and generating revenue. If an app development company fails to comply with the required guidelines while creating an app, it can lead to dire consequences due to the legalities involved in keeping customer-sensitive data safe from cyber threats. With the increasing reliability of mobile apps comes the need for strict guidelines to ensure users have an overall secure and enriched user experience.
1. Data Security And Concerns-
I am sure once in your lifetime, you must have been scared to fill out the online registration form for an app due to the rising misuse of individuals’ data to scam people out of their hard-earned money. The foremost concern of app development companies is maintaining users’ data and protecting sensitive information like address, phone number, age, bank details, etc., against cyber threats.
Data is susceptible to violations and abuse without strict rules. The Privacy Act 1988 of Australia, including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), is setting the standard on how personal information should be managed. Security standards must be adhered to by app developers in compliance with these regulations— protecting user data, preventing unauthorized access or use, and thereby upholding user privacy while lowering the likelihood of data breaches.
2. Enhancing User Trust
Trust is the foundation of any relationship, and the relationship between a user and an app developed by a reputable app development company is no exception to the rule. An app that complies with strict guidelines and high-security standards is more likely to gain users’ trust than one that doesn’t, thus making them susceptible to losing loyal users. A user will download an app that complies with the country’s strict guidelines and security standards.
3. Accessibility and Inclusivity
Inclusivity and Accessibility have been gaining traction in recent years, with more people raising their voices against the injustice done to people suffering from disabilities, leading to the growing demand for inclusive apps. These strict guidelines help app development companies ensure that apps are accessible to all users, including individuals with trouble hearing, visual impairment, etc., thus helping app developers expand their market.
4. Protecting Children and Vulnerable Users
Children are vulnerable to online threats, like cyberbullying, inappropriate content, and privacy breaches, necessitating robust protections and parental guidance for their protection. App developers must adhere to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act to ensure that children are protected from inappropriate content and data collection practices by allowing parental control on apps that enable parents to keep a watch on things viewed by their children.
5. Quality And Reliability-
Would you like an app that doesn’t adhere to the strict security guidelines set by the government of your country or an app that fails to adhere to the basic guidelines? You know, the best part about these guidelines is that they help increase the quality and reliability of the app by ensuring that apps function seamlessly on different platforms. These guidelines also help ensure that app developers have fair competition in the market by setting clear standards that promote transparency and prevent unfair practices, thus creating an equitable environment for innovation and growth.

The Concerns Of Government While Developing An App-
The usage of tech in government work can either be a direct benefit to the public or, through its use in services, serve as a means to expedite public order and make the interactions with the citizens more efficient.
These changes are pivotal for a modern, digitally aggressive society where governments use unique technologies to improve public services, streamline operations, and engage citizens.
One of the trends observed in the implantation of digital technologies in government is the growing popularity of mobile apps, especially the government’s digital transformation journey, which are the civic engagement platforms, such as the delivery of online public services.
1. Robust Security Protocols –
Isn’t security a concern for almost everyone using an app developed by a government entity? A government entity keeps app security a priority while developing an app due to its responsibility to protect users’ sensitive data and maintain public trust by preventing data breaches and unauthorized access.
Often government apps deal with sensitive data like bank details, addresses, mobile numbers, etc., making them prone to cyber threats and stealing of data by hackers for misuse. While developing an app, a government entity implements high-security standards like advanced encryption, regular security audits and double secure authentication.
2. Secure Communication
Secure communication between an app and the user during transactions is necessary for an app to be successful, as it ensures the protection of sensitive data, prevents fraud and builds user trust.
Now, to enable secure communication between the user and the app, government entities need to use advanced encryption technologies for data in transit and at rest. If a government entity fails to create secure communication channels between the user and the app, then it will fail to make its place in the market.
The idea of user privacy goes hand in hand with that of security. For government apps to maintain user privacy, they need to collect, store, and use user data transparently and ethically.
This entails getting permission from users before collecting their data and ensuring strict compliance with data protection laws. Routine assessments focusing on privacy implications can help uncover any possible challenges with the inherent privacy in such apps.
3. Delineating Data Procurement:
Government bodies need to outline the data they need to gather to ensure transparency and adherence to statutory laws laid out by a nation’s jurisdiction. In developing a mobile application, it becomes imperative for the government to identify the specific categories of personal information that the app will capture. It can range from address details to specifics like health records or financial data.
4. Assessing Data Usage-
A government app needs to assess the data usage: after all, it is not enough that data be collected. It must be used appropriately to see that the information is effectively managed and complies with the terms agreed upon for the deal, taking into account all those privacy and security guidelines as prescribed by the country. The government should have a clear idea about what end purpose lies behind any data collection effort and how they process information retrieved.
5. Evaluating Compliance –
The government entity needs help from a reputable mobile app development company to ensure their app complies with privacy laws and regulations of the country, thus making it compulsory for the government to check if the data handling process complies with the guidelines.
6. Risk Identification–
The development of an app involves two parties: the users and the government entity. With data privacy at stake due to daily technological advancements, both parties face risks that need to be identified— such as unauthorized access, information misuse, and data leakage.
7. Impact Analysis–
Now, if you are a government entity planning to create an app, then you need to know that before releasing an app, you have to identify the potential risks to a user’s privacy. During the app development process, be sure to consider the risky scenarios where there is a chance for data privacy to be compromised and evaluate the potential risks to sensitive data.
8. Mitigation Strategies –
After you have identified the potential risk of data leaks, you need to work on planning strategies to deal with it to avoid any further issues with legality. You can incorporate technologies like advanced encryption, tokenization, etc., to ensure your app can keep sensitive users’ data safe.
9. Documentation –
After incorporating advanced security measures in your app, keep an eye on the records of the assessment process, actions taken, and findings to ensure your app complies with the guidelines. This step will help you remain accountable and continuously update your app to stay ahead of the trends and rules.
10. Review And Update –
This last step is one of the most pivotal steps in ensuring data safety, as it requires you to daily update your app to do better and account for the new data practices or changes in legalities regarding privacy rules. You have to continuously update your app to keep up with the legal rule changes in app development.
11. Universal Accessibility -
Accessibility plays a pivotal role in the app gaining traction in the market, and a government entity needs to be accessible to every individual, including people with special needs, to comply with the guidelines of the Australian government. To make your app accessible to everyone, you need to incorporate a design that accommodates various needs like screen reader compatibility for visually impaired individuals or effortless navigation for individuals with motor issues.

Data Sovereignty –
I am sure most of you would wonder what data sovereignty is. In Layman’s terms, data sovereignty means dealing with the location of the data storage and processing while developing an app. The Australian laws require app developers, including government entities, to store their data within the country to ensure that the data remains under Australian jurisdiction and safeguards against foreign data breaches.
1. Consistent User Experience
It isn’t a surprise that different individuals use different devices that fit their needs, and the government is required to develop an app that works seamlessly on any platform. An app built by the government has to provide a consistent experience to everyone, ensuring the app is user-friendly and accessible to everyone. You can achieve this by enhancing the app’s performance design to fit different screen sizes and operating systems without trouble. After you have developed the app, you need to consistently update and test it across distinct platforms to ensure a remarkable experience for your users.
2. Intuitive Design-
An app developed by a government entity needs to provide a remarkable user experience by creating a user-friendly app design that is effortless to navigate and interact with for everyone, thus enhancing the overall experience. The prime element of an app developed by the government includes clear and intuitive navigation menus, responsive design and concise content to accommodate the different needs of individuals.
3. Multilingual Support-
The government of a culturally diverse nation need to ensure that the app is smoothly understandable to everyone by allowing the user to access the information in their chosen language, as everyone living in the same country doesn’t speak the same language. By allowing individuals a choice in language, your app helps to bridge the gap between individuals speaking different languages and ensures that every citizen can effectively use the app.
4. Balancing Innovation With Practicality –
While innovation is crucial, government apps must be functional and user-friendly due to the diverse needs of the population. Balancing new features with simplicity is essential for successful user acceptance, as it ensures the app remains effortless to use by everyone while offering innovative functionalities.
5. Intuitive User-Interface –
A government entity needs to develop a clear and intuitive app design that is simple to navigate by everyone regardless of their skills, thus raising the need for a known app development company to ensure they can deliver the best experience to users.
6. Clear Navigation –
An app developed by a government entity needs to have clear and logical navigation paths within the app to guide users smoothly through different app categories and functions without any issues.
7. Minimalistic Design –
An app with a minimalistic design should be a go-to choice for government entities while developing an app for their users to avoid unnecessary app cluttering and focus on the essential features to avoid overwhelming users with useless features.
8. User Testing –
After developing an app conduct regular tests with a diverse group of individuals to gather usability feedback and make the required changes before launching the final product. A reputable iPhone app development company or an Android app development company can help you tackle this issue with ease, depending on your needs.
9. Responsive Design –
An app developed by the government needs to function seamlessly on any platform and screen size to meet the unique individual needs of the population. A responsive design is necessary for an app to create a storm in the app development market among users.
10. Feedback Mechanism –
User feedback is necessary to ensure you keep making required changes in the app to help you stay afloat in the market and stand out amongst the competition. As a government entity developing an app, ensure to incorporate an easy method to allow users to share their feedback with you and report issues without trouble.

Cost-Effective Development And Maintenance-
The budget of an app development takes priority over everything except data security, and a government entity developing an app needs to ensure its app is cost-effective to avoid any extra charges. A government entity needs to select an effective technology stack that doesn’t cost an arm and leg with a development approach that offers quality products on a budget. By working with a brilliant app development company in Australia, the government can deliver efficient, scalable, and cost-effective solutions.
1. Development And Maintenance Costs –
A government entity often has a limited budget to develop an app that is both effective and provides a remarkable experience to the users, therefore they need an app development company that can deliver the same by carefully planning and allocating resources for initial and ongoing app maintenance. They need to take app design, development stack, deployment, promotion, etc. into consideration while developing an app for a larger target audience.
2. Cost-Benefit Analysis –
It is pivotal to guess and analyse the potential return on the investment made on an app before using resources to start the process. A government entity needs to perform a cost-benefit analysis to help them understand the potential return on the investment for their project, and a reputable mobile app development company is the perfect choice to help them understand. It will help them make an informed decision after understanding if the project would be beneficial in future or not.
3. Regular Updates And Support
The duty of an app development company doesn’t end with the app launch, they need to continue making regular updates to keep up with the latest technologies and ensure a bug-free experience for users.
This helps the app stay relevant, secure and functional for a long time, thus ensuring it meets the user’s needs while adapting to evolving technological standards. A government entity needs to form a trusted and dedicated team to update the technical and content aspects of the app to reflect the current policies.
4. Effective User Feedback –
User engagement with the app is necessary for app developers and the government entity to understand the user’s needs and the changes they need to make to meet the changing expectations. The app could have occasional user surveys, analytics to track user behaviour and feedback forms within the app to help them better understand user behaviour patterns and needs.
5. Partnering With Experts –
Navigating the complexities in the app development process requires a level head and an experienced team, especially if the app is being developed for a government entity. Collaborating with a dedicated app development company in Australia can offer the expertise and knowledge required to tackle these concerns effectively. A leading app development company has practical experience creating top-notch, secure, and user-friendly government apps.
Conclusion –
To summarize, the creation of mobile apps by governmental agencies is an interplay of a wide range of concerns to ensure that the apps are safe, easy to use and in compliance with regulations.
Concerns over data security and privacy are high, given the nature of information used in government apps. Government apps require a set of rules to ensure they don’t face legal issues in future by complying with the set guidelines for app development.
There is no room for bargaining when it comes to regulatory compliance.
With these issues handled, government entities can develop mobile apps that aid in improved public service delivery and help build trust among the citizens and engagement with them.
7 Pillars, a leading mobile app development company, is the perfect fit for government entities looking into getting an app developed to help them deal with public issues. Our technocrats at 7 Pillars, a mobile app development company, are experts in taking the user-centric approach to create a brilliant retail mobile app with user-centric features by incorporating the latest trends and technologies.
7 Pillar, an iPhone app development company has real-world experience in developing high-quality user-friendly, and secure mobile apps for government entities. Whether you aim to build a new government app or improve an existing one, arrange a call with 7 Pillars now to turn your ideas into a reality.
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