[MyData & Open Data] Stop the Creepiness: How Open Data and Open IOT need Open Rights and Open Notice to not be Creepy

[Mark Lizar]

Hello Everyone, 

First of all, on the My Data Vs Open Data topic a constructive place to start may be with the premise that people need to have control over their personal information.   For Open Data to not be creepy its use with personal information needs to be based on personal preference and control.  At the moment we have very little control of personal data (even though we have the right to control our own data) and this is a tremendously big and important issue at this time! 

Without this personal data control Open Data, IOT and emerging sensor driven Smart Spaces start to  get very creepy! 

There are a lot of things that prevent personal information control at the moment.  A major challenge is the fact that privacy policies and terms of services are closed each company has custom policies and private infrastructure for the management of personal information (and our own personal  preferences).  This needs to change! 

In addition, companies lock up personal data so its difficult and virtually unusable contextually preventing people from asserting preferences, making use of open data or using new IOT devices.

Most significantly, Privacy laws were made when there was no digital infrastructure for people to control their own information.  This means the laws are focused on (old school concepts) of Data Protection and control of your data, instead of the other way around which is data protection for the self control and use of My Data. (Privacy by Design Data Protection not Disempowering Data Protection Law that is in place today) 

That being said.  We are now on the precipice of Smart Spaces (spaces with sensors that are aware of people).   Sensors are being built into everything, our things are being hooked up to the internet and the need for personal information control to protection personal freedom is  very apparent. 

Smart Spaces are a great case study for discussion as they illustrate the convergence of IOT, Open Data, and Personal Information Control (PIC)  in practical ways both online and off.   Smart Spaces will thrive on Value for People, Control of Personal Information and Notice

With Android & IOS 7 building in support for Smart Bluetooth sensor discovery the reality of ubiquitous sensors to make Smart Spaces usable by people is here and will start to be everywhere in 2014. 

On Monday Oct 28th we are having an Open Notice meetup in Kings Cross London. A major topic at this meeting is how to Open Notice so that the policy infrastructure that maintains my data and open data can be turned into Smart Policy. 

We are creating a specification for an Open Notice Consent Tag, with the aim of making it into a standard for the systematic discovery of  policies and terms on and offline.  The aim is Open Notice will open up the controls for personal data and with it we can all start making Smart Notices for Smart Spaces. 

In fact, a topic of great importance is interoperability.  How to Open Notice  to standardised the discovery of Open Data and IOT in Smart Spaces so that personal data and its control is held by each individuals.  (To Stop the Creepy Factor)

Personally, I think Open Notice and the discovery of Open Data, big and small, is something that should be championed/sponsored by the Open Knowledge Foundation, Open IOT, Open Rights, and Open Notice. As it will take a community to converge and make a standard we can all use.  

If there is anyone else out there that is working, on our would like to work, on this topic please contact me and  join us this Monday. 

Kind Regards,

Mark Lizar
SmartSpecies
+44 (0) 7738382658
Co-Founder of opennotice.org

P.S. --> Please Pass This On To Someone Who Cares! 

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