Australia adopts MRS Fair Data scheme

Launched in the UK in 2013, MRS’s Fair Data trust mark identifies organisations that collect, use and retain personal data properly and ethically. Organisations must sign up to 10 core principles to be allowed to use the trust mark.

AMSRS is now inviting its members in Australia to sign up to the Australian scheme. Australia joins The Netherlands and Singapore – two other major international research markets – which have also adopted the scheme.

Jane Frost, CEO of MRS, said: “We launched the Fair Data trust mark because it is incredibly important that members of the public are able to instantly identify those organisations which take data privacy seriously.  We’re delighted that through our partnership with AMSRS a growing number of consumers in Australia will now also have that reassurance.”

Elissa Molloy, CEO of AMSRS, added: “AMSRS has an important role in educating the public on why research is important and how they can protect themselves when participating. We have adopted Fair Data because its principles set the highest ethical standards and meet or exceed international regulations."

The full list of Fair Data principles can be found here. These principles support and complement the Australian Privacy Principles, data protection legislation and other standards schemes including the AMSRS Code of Professional Behaviour.