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Metadata Mismanagement: A Call for Government Action
One challenge of increasing digitization of information is the management of metadata, a critical component of the online ecosystem. Recent reports indicate that the U.S. government’s handling of metadata on their official websites has been less than stellar.
Metadata, the underlying descriptors that help search engines and users understand web content, is crucial for accessibility and search optimization. However, a new online tracker reveals that most state government homepages fail on basic data practices. The federal government also received an ‘F’ grade for its metadata practices. This shortcoming could impede compatibility with artificial intelligence and accessibility.
The implications of this mismanagement are far-reaching. As Beau Woods, the founder, and CEO of Stratigos Security, notes, “If a website doesn’t set [metadata tags] up, or doesn’t set them up correctly, it can leave citizens wondering what the site is about [and] which one is the legitimate site”. This could lead to unofficial websites rising to the top of search rankings, potentially misleading citizens.
Despite these challenges, there are signs of progress. The Office of Management and Budget is working to expand “best practices on search engine optimization and the use of metadata”. Moreover, some government webpages were incorporating new metadata amid reporting.
Looking ahead, it’s clear that improvements are needed. Governments should ensure good data hygiene, such as properly filling out website metadata tags, to make their AI uptake more seamless. As Luke Fretwell, creator of the “gov metadata” project, points out, “Government should be making data as structured as it can so that you don’t have to have like a proprietary algorithm to make sense of the data”.
