Statistics Authority launches data ethics centre

The new centre will aim to provide a space for thought leadership, international engagement, as well as practical guidance and support for researchers and statisticians in the application of data ethics.

The centre will also seek to work with partners elsewhere in the UK and abroad to understand and address current and emerging ethical challenges in developing research and statistical projects for the public good.

Issues the centre will seek to address include artificial intelligence, geo-location, social media, surveys and access to administrative data.

Dame Moira Gibb (pictured), the chair of the National Statistician’s Data Ethics Advisory Committee, said: “To ensure that research and statistics continue to provide trusted, reliable and rigorous sources of information, it is vital that we adequately address ethical considerations as and when they emerge.

“Accessing, using and sharing both old and new forms of data present substantial ethical challenges that must be considered and addressed to ensure that researchers and statisticians can continue to fulfil their mission of using and producing statistics for the public good and make the world a better place.”