A searchable video archive of goings-on at the California Legislature has added email alerts and other new features.
The Digital Democracy online platform, backed by California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former State Sen. Sam Blakeslee, has added video of floor sessions, custom video storage and organization profiles, and user email alerts.
With the email alert system, users can create free accounts and enter the keywords, phrases, bills or speakers they want to follow. They then receive email notifications when content matching their criteria is uploaded.
Digital Democracy was officially launched on May 6, 2015.
Developed by students at the Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), the system uses voice and facial recognition algorithms as it mines video of government hearings. A user types in a search term, and Digital Democracy executes a "Google-like" search to identify "utterances" of that term, and those who said it.
"The California State Legislature does not produce transcripts or minutes from these hearings. There is no list of who was in the room, influencing decisions that were made," Blakeslee said in a statement last year when the platform was launched. "With this powerful new platform, Californians will be able to see exactly what people are saying as state laws are being written."
Digital Democracy was funded by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation and the Rita Allen Foundation.
Reporting from Government Technology contributed to this story.
