Belgium will use its own Whatsapp-like app for crisis communication

Belgium is developing its own kind of WhatsApp for crisis communication, La Libre Belgique reports. In the near future ​ ​ messages of public interest, related to health, flood risks or crises like Ukraine will be sent through the app.

The new WhatsApp-type application, whose name has not yet been decided, could be ready in two weeks’ time. It will enable public social security bodies to send messages to citizens when the country finds itself facing a crisis, such as the deadly floods in July.

The government has asked Frank Robben, the man behind the computer systems of health care and social security in Belgium, to develop the app. Robben explained in an interview that communicating with citizens via SMS has limitations and is expensive. “We realised, in fact, that communicating by text message with citizens could only be done within a limit of 140 characters and that could be costly with the telecoms operators,” he said. “When you have 19.6 billion transactions, the cost of exchanges between health care providers and all citizens soon adds up.” The new app would allow the sending of photos, longer texts and links to videos. The messages will be free.

(HC)

Soon a new Whatsapp-type app for crisis communication will be available © BELGA Rafael Henrique