The Ethical Dimensions of Data Collection and use in the Public Sector

This event is hosted in partnership with The University of West England's DRAGoN project. I studied with UWE for my undergrad and highly rate their work, so I hope you'll enjoy this too!

Find out more about DRAGoN here - https://uwedragon.weebly.com/

Ben Gilburt (MSc Candidate in Social Science of the Internet, Oxford Internet Institute | AI Ethics Lead at Sopra Steria)
Ben Jones (Head of Digital at Harrow Council).

This presentation explores the ethical dimensions of data collection and use in the context of public services in the UK. In 2020, Sopra Steria (a multinational consulting business) worked with Harrow Council to understand how the council could use residents’ data to personalise their experience when visiting the Council’s website, including the information that is presented to them and the services that are promoted.

The project explored a unique data ethics context, where highly sensitive and personal data is available to the Council, where personalisation has the potential to significantly decrease the demand on call centres and improve the provision of public services. However, the data collected and used must be aligned with the expectations and values of residents, protecting their safety and privacy.
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In this presentation we will investigate the philosophical underpinnings of the project, the methodology implemented to investigate and understand residents’ values and expectations and examples of how the project impacted the council’s processes and policies.