Abstract: The superiors, in addressing major public emergencies, try to build a digital production system to achieve transparent, precise and refined governance. Digital production system lends impetus for the superiors to stimulate the subordinates’ enthusiasm. However, its inherent dilemma leads to primary-level officials’ blame avoidance behaviors such as representational strategy, institutional strategy, policy strategy and reverse strategy, forming a “low accountability equilibrium”. “Blame avoidance by Data” is the endogenous product of bureaucratic system, the choice of these officials’ facing uncertain risks and high pressure of accountability, as well as the embodiment of bureaucratic rationality. These officials respond to the technical governance requirements by creating digital landscape, formalism and other administrative procedures, reconstruct the power chain, and dispel the intention of the accountable subjects to a certain extent. In the future national governance, we should relocate the administrative standardization and technical orientation, alleviate the excessive expansion of technical rationality so as to build a benign and sound accountability chain, thus creating an institutional environment for primary-level officials who dare to take responsibility.

Key words: blame avoidance by data, digital production, technical governance, primary-level officials, major public emergencies