Interview: Roger Taylor, chair, Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation

The individual versus the collective

A major issue in the data governance and ethics space is the emerging tension between the impact of data on the individual and the impact on society as a whole, says Taylor.

“One way of looking at the sum of the problems we’ve got is that data protection legislation is grounded primarily in thinking about how individuals protect themselves,” he adds. “But a lot of what we’re talking about here is that, as you create very powerful datasets and algorithms, it often doesn’t make sense to just think about the individual.

“There are many instances where that is the right route, but there is an aspect to it which is: how do we collectively engage with this, because the power of these technologies can shape our whole society? We need to have mechanisms to think collectively about how we want to use these technologies.”

Taylor points to the imbalance of power between organisations and governments on the one hand, and consumers on the other. “Their knowledge of the customer’s behaviour far exceeds the customer’s knowledge of their behaviour,” he says.

This is important because data about a single individual is not very powerful, but when aggregated and combined with other people’s data, much deeper and more complex insights can be gained, which is something only governments or large organisations are able to do, says Taylor.

“The question is, who should control that power? What we’re talking about really is trying to nuance the degree to which that power is either held by particular organisations – in which case, is it properly held accountable for the way it’s using that power – or are there mechanisms that will distribute that power more evenly across people?” he says.

“I think the key to what the centre will be doing is bringing together different disciplines, working with regulatory organisations, with entrepreneurs, with people who want to buy and use these technologies, with the individuals who will be affected by the use of these technologies, and start to build a consensus around a legitimate way of regulating these technologies.

“It’s not simply about the mechanisms we need to put in place to get a grip on what’s going on, it’s also about what mechanisms we need to make sure that decisions we make with this information are legitimate and are supported by the public at large.”

Post-Brexit collaboration

Another part of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s work will be to engage in international collaboration to address the global issue of data governance, and these efforts will not be hampered by Brexit, says Taylor.

“We will actively be focused on trying to frame international agreements about the right approaches, and so we will absolutely be going out and seeking allies around the world,” he says.

“I think there’s actually an opportunity for both the UK on its own and the UK working within Europe to lead the world in this space, to start to establish the kinds of institutional arrangements, rights and powers that are necessary, and the kinds of structures that would be legitimate in a democratic country to ensure that both individuals and society collectively have sufficient control and agency over these technologies.”