On big data and data protection

Legislation is needed if the UK is to capitalise on its analytical skills with big data, MRS Conference delegates heard this afternoon.

Stephen Shakespeare, founder of YouGov and chairman of the UK government’s Data Strategy Board said that it was essential that legislation was put in place so that Britain could use its skill sets.

“We have to talk about maximising the economies of data,” he said. “The UK is a world leader at analysing data and market research. It is essential that we get the law in place so that big data can be made available for the commercial and social benefit of this country.”

Meanwhile, Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said a planned update to the European data protection regulations was slowly getting somewhere. However, he said it still needed a lot of help. 

“The text is overly prescriptive at the moment and takes away all the best practice so it needs to be improved,” said Graham. 

Responding to a comment that perhaps the regulation should return to the drawing board one more time, Graham said: “It has been drawn on enough times. If it goes back to the drawing board, I would have to shoot myself.”