This panel discussion focused on the reliability and liability of crowdsourced and volunteer information in disaster management. It discussed various volunteer technology communities and tools for crowdsourcing mapping data during disasters. Concerns were raised about the verifiability and reliability of crowd-mapped data, specifically regarding who is submitting data and the quality. Approaches to improve reliability through validation, training, source cross-checking and automated tools were presented. Legal risks to volunteers, emergency managers relying on crowdsourced data, and the public making decisions based on unverified data were highlighted as issues to address.

1. Panel Discussion:
Liability & Reliability of Crowdsourced & Volunteer Information
in Disaster Management
Part 1 - Domestic Emergency Preparedness
Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars and
NAPSG Foundation
August 30, 2011
Washington DC
Deborah Shaddon
CrisisCommons Technology Community Infrastructure Lead and Insurance IT Professional
www.crisiscommons.org
deborah@crisiscommons.org
Twitter/Skype: @deborahshaddon

2. CrisisCommons
Crisis Commons is a global network of volunteers
who use creative problem solving and open
technologies to help people and communities in
times and places of crisis.
Crisis Commons members organize response
events called CrisisCamps.
Haiti and Chili Response: 90 days
8 countries, 50 events +2000 volunteers

3. VTC: Volunteer
Technology Communities
• Volunteer Technical Communities
1 Sahana Foundation
2 Ushahidi, Swift River and Crowdmap
3 OpenStreetMap, HotOSM
4 Frontline SMS
5 Crisismappers, SBTF
6 CrisisCommons
7 Random Hacks of Kindness
8 Humanity Road
9 Geeks without Bounds
10 Geo-CAN
11 HFOSS and more

4. Crowdsource
Mapping 101
Ushahidi 101:
Ask: What do you see? What do you need?
Bubbles = # of reports
Each report has a category or categories.
Volunteers research, add and verify these reports.
Reports can be submitted by email, social media, web
form, or SMS.

5. Hurricane Irene Recovery
Map

6. Crowd Mapped Data - Verifiability
and Reliability Concerns
• Who in the crowd is submitting the data:
• Verifiable sources?
• Trusted sources?
• Trained sources?
• Sustainability and reach of the ‘crowd’?
• Quality of Data:
• Timeliness, Completeness,Validated?
• Implicit or Explicit quality?
• Accuracy of data sources?

7. Even non-crowdsourced
map data can be wrong
* Google Maps - OK
(public domain, private
licensed)
* OpenStreetMaps - OK
(public domain, public
crowdsourced)
* Vehicle GPS - Wrong (private
domain private license)

8. Crowd Mapped Data - Verifiability
and Reliability Approaches
• Multiple layers of validation (triangulation)
• Training and Trust (SBTF, Humanity Road)
• Cross/Multiple-source Validation
• Crowd correctness measures (self correcting for
sustainable crowds)
• Automation (SwiftRiver)
• Proven methodologies
• Combination of techniques

9. Data Risk and Liability Concerns
to Address Today
• Risk to Volunteers: Affiliated and unaffiliated
“volunteers” (domestic/by-state good-samaritan may not
cover virtual volunteers)? Volunteer and source traceability?
• Risk to EM Community: Bad data could compromise
preparedenss allocation, and emergency response?
• Risks to Public: Public makes decisions based unverifiable or
purposely incorrect data?