BritainThinks: Trust in data
This report details the findings from a public engagement exercise, commissioned by the CDEI and conducted by BritainThinks, to understand attitudes towards data use.
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As outlined in the National Data Strategy, the value of data has the potential to unlock myriad benefits for our society and economy, but the full extent of the opportunity can only be realised if there is public trust in its use. To support the delivery of the National Data Strategy, the CDEI is leading a programme of engagement to build trust in responsible data use.
The first phase of this programme of work consisted of a public engagement exercise to explore attitudes towards data use, including which topics and issues are most resonant, and in what contexts. The exercise was conducted between 2 August and 3 September 2021. It had three phases; two of which involved focus groups, while the other an online task, in which participants were presented with 12 case studies.
This exercise builds on existing research the CDEI has done to develop a deeper understanding of public attitudes towards the use of data and AI, focused on specific governance challenges or use-cases. Earlier this year, it conducted a deliberative public engagement exercise to explore attitudes towards algorithmic transparency in the public sector, as well as a longitudinal survey to understand public opinion towards the use of digital technologies in the UK’s COVID-19 response.
What are the key findings?
- For most people the strongest spontaneous association with data is ‘personal data’. This means that many think of data primarily in terms of privacy and security, rather than the potential for datasets to be aggregated to facilitate large scale change.
- People often have negative views on data use because bad examples are more memorable. While data plays an important and positive role in their lives, this is invisible, and they only ‘notice’ data when something goes wrong.
- When prompted, people do recognise the potential for data use to facilitate positive change but they also have spontaneous concerns. They ask questions about data security, privacy and whether specific uses go beyond the consent that has been given.
- Despite concerns about how data is used in principle, when it comes to specific use cases the outcome or why has a much stronger influence on attitudes. Where people saw significant societal benefits their concerns became less prominent.
Next steps
The CDEI will continue to utilise a range of methodologies, including survey research and additional focus groups, to conduct further research in this area. It recently launched a tracking survey to explore how public attitudes towards the use of data and AI in the UK change over time.
Additionally, the CDEI has brought together an active and collaborative working group of experts to explore how to build public trust in data use as part of the National Data Strategy Forum, which was set up to ensure that a range of perspectives inform the Strategy’s implementation.