News item | 01-07-2025 | 18:00
The number of government websites has grown strongly in recent years. Because of this proliferation, it is for residents who are looking for online government information or services, unclear whether the information found is current, correct or authentic. In addition, the development and management of websites costs a lot of money. That is why State Secretary Van Marum today is publishing the National Web Policy Action Plan. With this, the number of government websites must be reduced and digital accessibility and information security must be increased.
“Digitization should make the lives of residents and companies easier. That is not possible when people get lost in a maze of government websites, which are sometimes difficult to understand for people with a disability,” says State Secretary Eddie van Marum. “That is why the number of government websites must be reduced and digital accessibility. The National Action Plan Web Policy ensures more recognisability, clarity and accessibility.”
Reduce the number of government websites
Reducing the number of websites ensures better findability of information, less costs and easier management of existing websites. To determine which websites are superfluous, it is first made clear which government websites are all online. After assessment, superfluous websites can be deleted or phased out. To limit the growth on new websites, the intention is to work according to a no-sideways principle. This means that a new website is only permitted if it has demonstrable added value and meets requirements in the field of digital accessibility and information security.
Government websites more recognizable and findable
To increase the recognisability of government websites, we investigate the possibility of a general domain name extension for the Dutch government, such as .gov.nl. The Rijkshuis style is also important for the recognisability of the central government. That is why sharper is monitored on the right application so that visitors immediately see that they are on an official website of the central government. There will also be a clear and reliable digital guide on government.nl. This helps people to quickly find the right information about government products and services. Here it says how you can request or arrange something, or you will be sent directly to the right organization.
Digital accessibility
56.5% of government websites currently meets the legal requirements for digital accessibility. Despite the progress, this should be better. Every person must be able to participate, even in the digital world. That is why new websites are only permitted if they meet the accessibility requirements. Government organizations will also use standard aids such as the NL Design System and NLDoc to make their websites more accessible. NL Design offers reusable building blocks for accessible websites. NLDOC sets PDF files that are not accessible to a better alternative. This way, not every organization has to reinvent the wheel.