Citizen-gathered data to support public services under emergencies: promises and perils of openness

Authors

  • Anna Berti Suman European Commission Joint Research Centre

Abstract

Society is experiencing sudden and sometimes unexpected crises mul- tiplying at a fast pace. The emersion of these crises requires a swift intervention under the form of providing public services. However, institutions often struggle to cope with crises. In such confronting situations, local people, networks of non- governmental organizations, and associations mobilize. They do so setting up ini- tiatives and producing (open access) data that could fall within the category of ‘citizen-generated data’. This contribution draws on theoretical notions such as ‘tech- nology appropriation’ and ‘collective intelligence’ in the context of citizen science initiatives to set the scene. It then dives into the analysis of two concrete examples of phenomenon discussed. Subsequently, it explores relevant stakeholders’ position on the matter, relying on insights gathered during a focused workshop. In the discussion, the article explores how the current EU legal framework and international standards for data sharing could ensure that these data flows flourish and are used by the public sector, while preserving potentially conflicting interests.

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Published

2023-09-20

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 2 (2023): Special Issue on "Open Science and Data Protection"

Section

Contents

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