When data is shared between organisations, who is responsible for acting?


/ March 9, 2015

When organisations pass data to each other, it brings up a range of questions about who owns the data, how it should be treated and who is responsible for acting on the results. 

Mark Latonero raised this issue in relation to human trafficking data at the recent meeting of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition:

Corporations such as Western Union, Google, and J.P. Morgan Chase are analyzing data that can reveal financial transactions or other evidence of human trafficking. When this data is shared with human rights groups and researchers, it brings up yet-unanswered questions about who has a responsibility to act if a human rights abuse is uncovered, and who has the responsibility to report and monitor that situation.

Would your organisation be happy to share information with a private-sector organisation? How would you deal with these issues? Let us know in the comments or contact [at] responsibledata [dot] io.

About the contributor

Tom started out writing and editing for newspapers, consultancies and think tanks on topics including politics and corruption in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, then moved into designing and managing election-related projects in countries including Myanmar, Bangladesh, Rwanda and Bolivia. After getting interested in what data and technology could add in those areas and elsewhere, he made a beeline for The Engine Room. Tom is trying to read all of the Internet, but mostly spends his time picking out useful resources and trends for organisations using technology in their work.

See Tom's Articles

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