New NYC initiative weighs pros and cons of data re-use for COVID-19 and future threats
The Governance Lab (The GovLab), an action research center at New York University Tandon School of Engineering, with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, announced the creation of The Data Assembly. Beginning in New York City, the effort will explore how communities perceive the risks and benefits of data re-use for COVID-19. Understanding that policymakers often lack information about the concerns of different stakeholders, The Data Assembly's deliberations will inform the creation of a responsible data re-use framework to guide the use of data and technology at the city and state level to fight COVID-19's many consequences.
The Data Assembly will hold deliberations with civil rights organizations, key data holders and policymakers, and the public at large. Consultations with these stakeholders will take place through a series of remote engagements, including surveys and an online town hall meeting. This work will allow the project to consider the perspectives of people from different strata of society and how they might exercise some control over the flow of data.
After the completion of these data re-use deliberations, The Data Assembly will create a path forward for using data responsibly to solve public challenges. The first phases of the project will commence in New York City, seeking to engage with city residents and their leaders on data governance issues.
"Data is increasingly the primary format for sharing information to understand crises and plan recovery efforts; empowering everyone to better understand how data is collected and how it should be used is paramount," said Adrienne Schmoeker, Director of Civic Engagement & Strategy and Deputy Chief Analytics Officer at the NYC Mayor's Office of Data Analytics. "We look forward to learning from the insights gathered by the GovLab through The Data Assembly work they are conducting in New York City."
The Data Assembly will be the first-ever public deliberation of the possible benefits—such as using mobile data to measure the impact of social isolation—and drawbacks of re-using data for COVID-19 response. It will inform if and how policymakers can responsibly re-use personal data for crisis management and for more effective, inclusive policymaking after the pandemic.
The effort will explore the responsible re-use of data to improve disease treatment, identify supplies, and generate other insights. While understanding how data could be transformative for COVID-19 response, it will explore widespread concerns about possible harms from re-use. For example, re-use of data for COVID-19 could restrict people's freedom of movement and result in extreme quarantine measures.
"If used responsibly and effectively, data could help to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19," said Stefaan Verhulst, Co-Founder and Chief Research and Development Officer of The GovLab. "But to unlock data's value, we need to rapidly get smarter about the policy and governance challenges resulting from re-using data, as well what public expectations are."
The work recognizes that policymakers must determine an appropriate balance between the potential benefits and costs of re-using data. This balance should take into account the different, and sometimes contradictory, needs and values of different stakeholders.
"Too often, policy is designed and conducted in a top-down manner, with little citizen input," said Dr. Mariko Silver, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Henry Luce Foundation. "We believe this more inclusive effort will yield trusted and effective data policies in the fight against COVID-19."
Additional information on the project will be published in the coming weeks. Interested parties are invited to subscribe to The GovLab's Data Stewards Newsletter or visit datastewards.net.
Provided by NYU Tandon School of Engineering
