I recently attended Westminster eForum keynote seminar Priorities for the National Data Strategy - ethics, innovation and infrastructure, 14th May 2019, where experts from industry, academia and government contributed to the ongoing debate about big data and how it can be used to support the UK population in a positive way.  I hope that this post will amplify the ideas put forward and give an understanding of the issues currently being faced. 

Roger Taylor, Chair, Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, began by highlighting the major ethical problems associated with big data.  He went on to say that, at present, there is not a lot of clarity about what the best response would be.  The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation are an organisation created by government to resolve this problem.  They form part of the industrial strategy, alongside the office for AI (supporting the growth of the industry) and the council for AI (representing the industry to government). The role of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation is to advise government on the National Data Strategy.  The board comprises a range of disciplines and voices: data scientists, people from industry, the Bishop of Oxford, alongside a team based at DCMS (Department for Culture, Media and Sport). 

Public trust is a major obstacle to data collection and use.  As Roger Taylor pointed out, these activities are currently associated with large organisations aggregating a huge amount of power and not being very transparent about how they benefit from that data.  He asked, "How do we implement a situation where the rights of access are determined by law and individuals have control over how their data is used?"  For a trustworthy data collection system to work, the use of data should improve the accuracy of decision-making when data is shared.  It has yet to be identified who would have the capacity to assess that data is being safely and successfully. 

"How do we implement a situation where the rights of access are determined by law and individuals have control over how their data is used?" 

Roger Taylor, Chair, Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation

The Open Data Institute, a non-profit organisation based in London, are working to build a trustworthy data ecosystem.  Jeni Tennison, CEO, highlighted the trap of people continuing to use services despite saying they don't trust the way that their data is used by those services.  She referred to this as "Learned Helplessness", where we feel we have no power in the system that we're caught up in, and how our data is being used. 

Since the introduction of the GDPR, there has been much greater awareness around consent with regard to personal data.  Jeni Tennison commented that the role of consent and the way in which we frame consent needs to be considered and defined.  As noted by Dr Brent Mittelstadt, Research Fellow and British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute, it is impossible to give meaningful consent where data can be used in so many ways. He commented, "Technology is driven more by what is possible than what we think is reasonable or acceptable."

"Technology is driven more by what is possible than what we think is reasonable or acceptable."

Dr Brent Mittelstadt, Research Fellow and British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, Oxford Internet Institute

The potential of intelligent networks could create a more open and accountable society.  They have the resources to identify how we are behaving collectively as a society so that public access can be improved for the population to healthcare, justice, transport and energy.  Several of the speakers cited the successful establishment of an "e-state" in Estonia (e-Estonia), who were named "the most advanced digital society in the world" by Wired.  The concept driving the initiative is to move basic services into a fully digital mode. Find out more about e-Estonia via their website:

https://e-estonia.com/

Roger Taylor noted the potential, in the public sector, of, "Using data collected to make decisions that can transform lives and services for the population, but it must be transparent and secure public trust.  People must be able to tangibly see the benefit of the use of their data."  To benefit as a society, we must be able to collect the data, and that data must be secure and authorised access acceptably controlled. 

Simon McDougall, Executive Director, Technology Policy and Innovation Information Commissioner's Office, believes we are having a crisis of trust in innovation and how our data is being used.  He emphasised that it is vital to engage the public to foster an understanding of the risks but also the benefits of sharing data.  Although past research has shown that the more the public understand how their data is being used by, e.g. the advertising industry, they do not feel comfortable or happy with it, more recent research (not yet released) is showing that post-GDPR public trust is starting to cut through.   

Dr Brent Mittelstadt highlighted the issue of data having to link back to an individual, stating that, "What researchers are interested in is not what makes a person uniquely identifiable, but what makes them similar to other people." The building blocks of the National Data Strategy will need to encompass an ethical framework, transparency, accountability, and innovative thinking to enshrine public trust at the core of the UK digital ecosystem. 

Roger Taylor warned that, "A failure to address these ethical issues will limit our ability to take advantage of these industries." He emphassised that the National Data Strategy must be, "One that the public trust, and they're right to trust it, because it's not going to be used against their interests."

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Caitriona Fitzsimons Digital Reporter