Data-sharing in government: why it’s time for a new approach

Summary

The narrative around “data-sharing” in government needs resetting. It is too often short-hand for the unaccountable duplication and joining together of data to meet short-term policy needs or reduce costs. Policymakers need to answer the following question: as more data is used to deliver more services, what will it do to people’s mental model of government and will it be one that people trust?

Failure to answer that question, or to anticipate the unintended consequences arising from the opaque use of data, risks missing the true opportunity of digital government. It may also be a boon to those looking to actively decrease trust in government or suppress civic participation through disinformation campaigns.