This research argues that the economic characteristics of data and the data economy mean the market alone will not unlock data’s full potential value. But it is possible to gain more from data with the right data policies, and an institutional framework that supports trustworthy access to data.

Using machine learning, online targeting systems predict what content is most likely to interest people, and influence people to behave in a particular way. This research report shows that people welcome the convenience these systems offer, but express concern when they learn about the systems’ prevalence, sophistication and impact.

This report from software developer, Brave, reveals that people seeking help for addiction, disability, and poverty on council websites are profiled by private companies in the United Kingdom. None of the data collecting companies recorded in this study had received consent from the website visitor to lawfully process data.

This research was commissioned by the Health Promotion Agency / Te Hiringa Hauora (HPA) to understand and document what data on alcohol use is held within the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). This information will support alcohol and IDI researchers to make better use of the IDI for understanding alcohol-related harm in New Zealand.

The State of Open Data 2019 report is the fourth in the series and includes survey results and a collection of articles from global industry experts.