GAO Launches Mobile Website

Agency Reports Now Accessible on Smart Phones

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 28, 2010) — As part of its continuing efforts to make its findings and recommendations available to a wide range of audiences, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has launched a mobile version of its website that will allow users to more easily access GAO reports on their BlackBerrys, iPhones, Droids, and other small-screen mobile devices.

“People are increasingly using mobile devices to access the internet and GAO’s mobile website will enable more users to quickly get to GAO’s most recent reports, testimonies, and legal decisions and learn about our efforts to promote accountability and help improve government performance,” said Gene Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States and head of the GAO. “This initiative will help ensure our work is as accessible as possible, both for Congress and the public.”

GAO’s mobile website is intended to meet the public’s evolving preferences for sharing and receiving information. The Pew Research Center reports that 40 percent of adults are using the internet, email, or instant messaging on a mobile phone in 2010, up from 32 percent in 2009.¹ This trend is expected to continue in the coming years.

The mobile website’s content is organized under three main tabs. The first allows users to browse the latest GAO reports and testimonies; the second provides users with the agency’s legal decisions and opinions; and the third, entitled “In the Spotlight,” highlights especially timely GAO work. Visitors to the website can also use its search feature to quickly find specific GAO products. The mobile version of GAO’s website is automatically opened by visiting the same URL as GAO’s regular website, www.gao.gov, via a mobile device.

For more information, contact Chuck Young, Managing Director of Public Affairs, at (202) 512-4800.

The Government Accountability Office exists to support Congress in meeting its constitutional responsibilities. GAO also works to improve the performance of the federal government and ensure its accountability to the American people. The agency examines the use of public funds; evaluates federal programs and policies; and provides analyses, recommendations, and other data to help Congress make informed oversight, policy, and funding decisions. GAO’s commitment to good government is reflected in its core values of accountability, integrity, and reliability.

¹ http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Mobile-Access-2010.aspx