This session is part of the 10-week seminar series, Data, Technology and Innovation in Government, led by Nick Sinai. Seminars are for students only (graduate and undergraduate) and are not-for-credit. Please register below to reserve your space.
Guest: Jim Waldo, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Computer Science at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Chief Technology Officer, Harvard University.
Description: The Federal government stores or regulates a vast amount of personal data that is increasingly being made digitally available back to citizens. Consumers can increasingly get secure access to their own health, energy, tax, benefit, and student loan data — especially if the federal government stores or regulates it. Citizens empowered with their own digital data can arguably make more informed decisions, or use the latest app to navigate an increasingly complex world. Government-held personal data is fueling new companies and services that help citizens make informed decisions about health, retirement plans, and college financial aid. What are the benefits and risks of making the data accessible, and portable? How can government work with industry to encourage new products and services that use this data, while protecting against bad actors?
Time: Wednesday, February 18, 2015, 4:00pm-5:30pm
Location: Harvard Kennedy School, Taubman Building Room 102, Women and Public Policy Program Cason Conference Room
Workshop Materials
Download the presentation slides
Suggested Reading
- White House Consumer Bill of Rights report (2012)
- White House Big Data report
- Fair Information Practices: A Basic History
- MyUSA github repository
- Federal Privacy Act
- NYU GovLab, Open Data 500
- Open Data in Action
- Sunlight Foundation, Open Data Privacy Guidelines
- Open Government Guide, “Privacy and Data Protection”
