Use of Digital Media in the Public Sector

In the current context, more and more public services are offered in digital format, the trust of users in these online environments is essential to ensure the adaptation and use of these services efficiently and effectively. The main aim of the paper is to investigate and identify the factors that positively or negatively influence users’ trust in public sector digital environments. The paper will refer to the way users interact with the digital services that the local public administration makes available. Based on the presented case study, it was possible to analyze the degree and mode of interaction of citizens with these online services. It could be concluded that the essentiality of increasing users’ trust in digital environments in the public sector, by improving the accessibility, security and quality of these services, is crucial for promoting their use and for encouraging citizens’ participation in the decision-making and administrative process. The most important factors that affect users’ trust in digital environments in the public sector are the transparency of information, but also the security of personal data, the quality of information and the accessibility of digital platforms for effective use, respectively services and information to be up-to-date, easily accessible and the platform to be easy to navigate to streamline time spent on the platform or work time for public sector employees.