China aids big data development amid challenges (2)

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China aids big data development amid challenges (2)

(Xinhua) 19:59, October 21, 2013

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BREAKING INFORMATION MONOPOLY URGED

Although the development of big data in China has gained momentum, it still faces great challenges ahead.

Many government departments are reluctant to disclose data, preventing businesses from using the information, said Tong Tengfei.

Wang Chuanjiu, who wants to obtain real-time public bus information, has long been nagged by this problem.

"Actually the public buses are all equipped with GPS, so it's not difficult to disclose the data," he said. "If we cannot get that information, it is impossible for us to develop an application for public bus travel."

Meanwhile, information is always scattered among different government departments, which hampers the integration and use of data.

When the government of the eastern city of Nanjing was planning to initiate a smart transportation program, it found that information was spread throughout the public security, traffic management, transportation, housing, environmental protection and planning departments.

"It is hard to coordinate," said Weng Xiaoyong, an official with the Nanjing municipal development and reform commission.

At the same time, some government departments refuse to share the information, using the excuse of confidentiality, Xinhua reporters have discovered.

"The disclosure of data is not a technical problem but a problem of awareness," said Dong Baoqing, deputy director of the Information Promotion Department with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

"Governments should be aware of service," he said. "They should not be inattentive to information disclosure."

Governments should make a clear distinction between confidential information, commercial information and public information, he said.

Dong suggested the introduction of a central government framework to coordinate the disclosure and use of data.

Warning of some local governments' failures to publicize information in a timely manner, a circular released last Tuesday from the State Council, China's cabinet, called on local governments to adopt various new media channels to release information and interact with the public.

"Governments should serve the public and prompt social development, instead of becoming stumbling blocks on the path of development," said Wang Yukai, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance.