London’s first Data Ethicist appointed

A new Data Ethics Service has been set up to support London boroughs in using data in an effective and trustworthy way.

The initiative, launched by the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI), will be led by the first-ever Data Ethicist for local government in the capital, Sam Nutt. The role could become more common in councils as data use advances.

Nutt said: “Government needs to use data more effectively and innovatively to improve residents’ lives, but this must be done in line with the ethical standards and expectations of residents.”

This relates to issues such as privacy, fairness, accountability and transparency and goes beyond meeting legal requirements, he said.

The Data Ethics Service will work with boroughs to help them navigate ethical issues on specific data projects and support them to build internal capacity for the future. The goal is also to develop consistent policies and standards across London.

LOTI, a membership organisation of over 20 boroughs and the Greater London Authority, has also developed a practical toolkit to help local authorities with resident engagement, governance and skills related to data ethics.

Getting ahead

Nutt said: “To create public services of the future, local authorities need to be able to responsibly innovate with data. ‘Smart cities’ approaches, where a wealth of data types from different sources are linked up to allow for more real-time, targeted and even proactive decision-making, highlight the possible benefits of this approach.

“Equally though, surveys show that residents lack confidence in these technologies – often rightly, as there has been no consistent and strategic approach to ensuring data practice meets the ethical standards that residents hold.”

The service and toolkit build on work LOTI has done with boroughs such as Camden and Brent. Camden’s Data Charter, for example, was created with residents and includes a series of commitments to them. Brent set up a Data Ethics Board of internal and external experts who provide feedback on data projects.

Nutt, who has a background in social sciences and previously worked for the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation and the European Commission, told Cities Today that members were working together on ethics in anticipation of potential issues that could arise as technology advances.

“In government, this is a really good example of us thinking ahead. And it’s really all about building trust with residents.”

A data ethicist in all cities?

One of the recommendations in the toolkit is for local governments to hire a data ethicist, as well as invest in data skills throughout the organisation and include responsibility for data ethics in job descriptions.

Nutt said: “It’s really important for us that data ethics isn’t delegated to an individual, although in the future when local governments are using data in far more complex ways than they are now, we anticipate that it might be worth having someone with this dedicated role.”

Other technology ethics-related initiatives in the capital include a new data governance board and an Emerging Technology Charter. Both projects are led by London’s Chief Digital Officer Theo Blackwell.