[MyData & Open Data] Open Data Privacy

[Reuben Binns]

So, I've just read Laura's great post (
http://blog.okfn.org/2013/08/27/open-data-privacy/ ). It's good to see the
conversation we've been having here on the main OKF blog.

Laura, I like the terminology you introduce. As well as helpfully
distinguishing between open and personal data, 'our data' also places the
focus on the fact that the data is a public and publicly funded asset. And
'transformation' of data is better than 'anonymisation', which claims more
than it should. It can also capture the idea that the process of
transformation is not just the straightforward application of various
technical de-identification measures, but also crucially involves
consultations with stakeholders and privacy experts.

I also agree that there is a sense in which personal data should be 'open';
namely, open to the individual themselves. Many of the challenges that have
faced the open data community in the past with regards to 'opening up' data
- scraping from public and commercial websites, getting proper API's, etc -
are increasingly relevant for personal control of personal data.

One thing that might get confusing is how we collectively refer to personal
data that is about us. I guess 'our mydata' is odd, so perhaps 'our
personal data' is clearer - datasets that contain personal data, a portion
of which relates to each of us as individuals, over which we each have some
rights - some of which are legal rights already defined in e.g. data
protection law, others which are not [as yet] enshrined in law but which
the community may nevertheless wish to develop and uphold.

In addition, I'd like to collaborate to develop the idea of 'open data FOR
privacy', exploring how open data can, for instance, drive privacy and
transparency tools, allow consumers to make more informed privacy
decisions, or help data controllers to comply with regulation.

As for OKCon, I notice Javier is talking on 'Big, Open and Personal' at one
of the Governance session - I look forward to attending. On that note, does
anyone on the list who is attending OKCon want to meet sometime during the
conference to debate these issues further?

-Reuben
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