Mission:Responsible #1/22: we’re back!

Welcome to a new issue of the Mission: Responsible newsletter! Through this newsletter, we put the spotlight on members of the Responsible Data community, their work, and how it intersects with the topic of responsible data.
 

We know it's been a while since you've heard from us and we are excited to be opening this space back up. To (re)inaugurate this newsletter, we are sharing below some of the highlights from the RD mailing list in 2021, including discussions that took place on the listserv, publications, and resources shared by community members. As a result, this issue is a bit longer than usual – Alicja, RD’s Community Manager, went over all 157 posts from 2021 to write it up! No worries though, we’ll be back to provide a short and accessible overview of different topics from next month. In the meantime, we hope you will enjoy this overview!

This year, we are looking forward to finding out how the RD community could be more useful to you. You’re welcome to let us know by completing this survey (big thank you to those who already did!). We will keep it running until February 3rd.

Accountability

– data is a serious affair

A couple of the most important discussions on the listserv this year focused on different aspects of the ongoing humanitarian crises. The first one concerned a grave case of UNHCR sharing data collected from Rohingya refugees with the government in Myanmar, the other – the past and current situation in Afghanistan. Some of the resources shared in the context of these exchanges included:

• IASC’s Operational Guidance on Data Responsibility in Humanitarian Action
• Sean McDonald’s article, What Can Data Governance Learn from Humanitarians?
• Linda Raftree’s and Anna Kondakhchyan´s case study on Responsible Data Sharing with Governments
• Principles for an Equitable and Effective Crisis Response collaboratively designed by Greg Bloom & others
• Zara Rahman’s The New Humanitarian op-ed
• Eileen Guo and Hikmat Noori’s article on Afghan Biometric Databases abandoned to the Taliban published by the MIT Review 
• Karl Steinacker and Katja Lindskov Jacobsen’s Call to Action published on the PRIO Blog, Contingency Planning in the Digital Age: Biometric Data of Afghans Must Be Reconsidered
• Amos Doornbos’ blog posts (no 1 and no 2) covering insights gathered during community calls he organized to talk about the issue of the Afghan biometric data

Regulation

– best practices, guidelines, and policies

First of all, we were thrilled to see Oxfam continue to lead the way in thoughtful and responsible approaches to biometrics use, with their updated policy published back in May. It remains open to feedback, and we're hoping it'll set a good example for others in the field to follow suit.

Here come other regulation-related resources shared by you in 2021 which we think are worth your attention:

• Mydata.org´s publication on a human-centric approach to personal data: State of MyData 2021

• UNICEF´s Manifesto for the Better Governance of Children’s Data

And last but not least, two country-specific case studies which might serve as  benchmarks:

• Soledad Magnone´s research paper, Government digital policies and children’s rights in Uruguay: An assessment framed by the UN CRC’s dimensions of provision, protection, and participation" 

• Center for Democracy and Technology report, Legal Loopholes and Data for Dollars, which examines how U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies evade applicable legal requirements and purchase personal data from brokers

Innovation

– weighing up opportunities and risks

Back in July, we had a short exchange about the ethical risks of not incorporating new tech/data into projects, noting that some community members have heard the counter-argument – “but what about the imperative to try out a new technology?”. Turns out there’s not so much evidence for that kind of approach, though – at least not from what we’ve come across. Here are the links you have shared:

• The EU Innovation Principle

• Collections of essays on Developmental Ethics, New Directions in Development Ethics: Essays in Honor of Denis Goulet

• Benefit/Risks Assessment Framework by IMC Worldwide & a guide on How to use it

Other resources shared this year that could prove relevant for this conversation include:

• Ada Lovelace Institute report, Regulate to Innovate (re the UK AI Strategy)

• Executive Summary called Do You See What I See? The Capabilities and Limitations of Automated Multimedia Content Analysis by the Center for Democracy and Technology

• Australian´s Red Cross 2020 report: Future of Vulnerability: Humanity in the Digital Age

• Mozilla´s library of 114 “supporting entities' for the Alternative Data Governance Ecosystem study. All listed examples encourage innovation through funding, research, community building, and more

• DataSyn – a free monthly newsletter from IT for Change analyzing all matters concerning Big Tech.

Data, diversity, equity and inclusion

– addressing persistent forms of bias

Most of us agree that inclusivity, diversity, and participation are crucial components of creating and implementing responsible data policies and practices. One way of operationalising this conviction is to expose oneself to resources that challenge the ways we think about data, technology, and power. Recommendations from community members on this topic include:

• Participatory Data Stewardship research report from the Ada Lovelace Institute

• Another report from Ada Lovelace Institute, The data divide

• Bot Populi´s podcast series, Feminist Digital Futures

• Data Responsibility Toolkit: A Guide for CVA Practitioners

• Digital Impact Alliance´s MD4D Handbook

• The Engine Room has started a new project on the intersection of digital rights and environmental justice which you can read more about here

• Simply´s Secure report on the Limits to Digital Consent

If you are looking for more general handbooks, manuals, or guides that can help you grasp the complexities of responsible data work, we strongly recommend you check the continuously updated Responsible Data Resource List (curated by both TER and MERL) as well as MERL’s newly launched website – especially the Resources section!

We hope you enjoyed this multifaceted hybrid of a round-up!
Have we missed something you found particularly inspiring or important? Do let us know. As always, feedback, suggestions, and links for the next newsletter are very much welcome. You can get in touch with us at hello@responsibledata.io. 
 

You will hear from us again in a month and in the meantime: see you on the listserv! We’re keen to hear your questions, thoughts, and responsible data-related resources! 
 

Have a good start to your year,

Alicja and The Engine Room team.