California Launches Wildfire Digital Help Tool Inspired by Taiwan
California has launched what it says is the U.S.'s first digital democracy tool, taking on wildfire recovery as its first focus. The tool, called "Engaged California," was years in the making, and came online with some help and inspiration from Taiwan.
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Nearly two months after deadly wildfires tore through southern California, the U.S. state is turning to technology — with an idea inspired by Taiwan — to aid recovery efforts.
Governor Gavin Newsom introduced “Engaged California,” a digital platform designed to let residents share their needs and ideas directly with the government.
“So, the whole idea of this platform is to create additional opportunities to directly engage,” Newsom said in a promotional video.
Amy Tong, secretary of California’s Government Operations Agency, said the platform’s goal is to cut through confusion and ensure the state responds quickly to residents. “What is really important is to be responsive to our residents’ needs in an era where there's just lots of information, lots of confusion and lots of stress,” she said.
The concept comes from a similar system in Taiwan, where digital democracy has driven government decisions on issues like regulating Uber and fighting scam ads. Taiwan’s first digital minister and now cyber ambassador-at-large, Audrey Tang, played a key role in helping California set up its platform.
“When people in Taiwan, despite their political party differences, can nevertheless agree on things, it increases the connective tissue of the civil society,” Tang told TaiwanPlus. “People feel that it's not just about partisan politics, but also about co-creation of policies.”
Tang acknowledged the challenge of adapting the model for California, with its population nearly double that of Taiwan. Still, she remains optimistic. “We're now seeing a shift from vertical institutional trust to this horizontal, crowd-based trust. This new form of trust will be more scalable and more resilient,” Tang said.
Jeffery Marino, director of the California Office of Data and Innovation, emphasized the importance of earning public trust. “The other thing that's really critical about building the trust is that we show we're listening and that we take action,” he said.
As California rebuilds, the hope is that “Engaged California” becomes more than just a recovery tool — that it becomes a new way for communities to shape their future, together.
