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• Posted Oct. 23, 2012, 10:53 p.m. - 12 years ago

Why Government Departments use PDFs

It used to be that getting information from the government meant taking time off from work and going to the physical address of the government division.  After you waited in line you saw a government employee who interrogated you to make sure you were given the correct information.

 

As the government slowly moved into the Information Age, you could go to a web site, search (often for hours) and find a document in either HTML or plain text.  Later you could also have a choice of Microsoft Word.  Now just about every document is only available in PDF format.

PDF documents can be opened on just about any electronic device from laptops, tablets, smartphones and even some game consoles!  This universal readability is perfect for government organizations that need to make sure the public has access to the documents they need.

The government quickly found out that PDF documents could be issued so the content could not be changed.  Imagine a ruling from the Supreme Court being issued in a PDF only to have a teenager change the wording.  So, by being able to protect the integrity of the PDF document, everyone can feel secure that the document contains the correct information.

Speaking of security, PDF documentation can be encrypted in their natural form and password protected so secret documentation can hopefully remain secret.

PDFs lend themselves to following accessibility rules for disabled and individuals with poor sight.

The United States Department of Health and human Services uses PDFs even for HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) which has strict privacy rules for health records.  They publish the Summary of the Privacy Rule – in PDF format.  PDF files with the proper settings also meet the strict privacy requirements for HIPAA.

By having all documentation in a PDF format, files can easily be searched and communications internal to the department are also made secure.

HDR Lock via Flickr by ChrisJohnstonPhotography

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