Open Global Data: A Threat Or Saviour For Democracy

Global Open Data
A threat or a saviour for democracy?

Chris Taggart, OKCON 2011, Berlin

Me: Chris Taggart
@countculture

Me: Chris Taggart
@countculture

Developer of OpenlyLocal, opening up local government
information since 2009. 150 councils, 10,000 councillors,
2 million payments, £12 billion – all open data

Me: Chris Taggart
@countculture

Developer of OpenCharities

Me: Chris Taggart
@countculture

Member of UK Local Public Data Panel

Me: Chris Taggart
@countculture

Member of UK Local Public Data Panel
Co-founder & CEO of OpenCorporates

Perhaps.
But is it also
under
threat?

http://publicdomainclip-art.blogspot.com/2007/11/guy-fawkes.html

3 big changes:
(thanks to the internet & technology)

1
Massive

in friction
reduction

http://www.flickr.com/photos/barelypodcasting/4899486065

Friction underpins society as
we know it

we know it
Many (most?) industries and business models are based
on it, leading to intermediaries, such as from real-estate
to electronics stores to the recorded music industry

we know it
ED
EDIATsuch as from real-estate
on it, leading SINTERM
DI to intermediaries,

we know it
ED
Privacy existed largely by dint of the difficulty of
combining information, allowing us to live multiple
separate lives, and the ability for our past to be
forgotten

we know it
ED
combining information,GLY SC us
allowing ARtoE multiple
C live
NCR EASIN ability for our past to be
separate Ilives, and the
forgotten

we know it
ED
C live
forgotten
Gives power to incumbents, but allows multiple
competitors to exist, both in time and space (different
countries have their own industries)

we know it
ED
C live
forgotten
Gives power to incumbents, but allows multiple
competitors to exist, both OPOLY PER CTOR?
SE(different
ON LOBAL ) MON in time and space
E (Ghave their own industries)
countries

And our democracies
depend on friction

http://www.flickr.com/photos/68259253@N00/2393999700

And our democracies
depend on friction
Representative democracy is based on it
– politicians are elected for a given term


And our democracies
depend on friction
The balance of power between the arms
of government is a balance between
varying degrees of friction (e.g. different
terms for House, Senate, Supreme Court)


And our democracies
depend on friction
The balance of power between the arms
of government is a balance between
varying degrees of friction (e.g. different
terms for House, Senate, Supreme Court)

It takes time to pass laws (not necessarily
a bad thing), and constitutional changes are
deliberately full of friction. But... almost impossible to
legislate intelligently in fast changing area (IP, data,

The corporate world deals
with friction every day


Friction protects incumbents. Making it easier to switch
mobile phone providers == reducing friction for the
user


user
Reducing friction allows you to deliver more for less,
reducing times, cost, increasing efficiency, with data
underlying all this


user
Reducing friction allows you to deliver more for less,
reducing times, cost, increasing efficiency, with data
underlying all this
Government regulations, tax, social benefits are all
increases in friction that many companies will do their
best to overcome

But we know how the
internet deals with friction

But we know how the

Friction == blockage (and the internet routes around
blockages).

But we know how the

blockages).
The corporate world in many ways prefigured the
internet’s architecture – routing around blockages.

But we know how the

blockages).
The corporate world in many ways prefigured the
internet’s architecture – routing around blockages.
And that’s true for the modern world too, as ideas,
memes, money, all cross the world before the public
realm has even noticed, still less had time to act.

2 are failing
Jurisdictions

http://www.davidhammerstein.com/article-acta-images-via-bansky-adapted-48287542.html

Jurisdiction failure
Note: failure, not elimination


Publish everywhere and nowhere?


Is BP really a British company (more US than UK
shareholders)?


shareholders)?
Who has jurisdiction over Twitter, Facebook, Baidu?


shareholders)?
How can a company be audited (for tax) when key parts
are hidden in tax havens, opaque corporate structures?


shareholders)?
How can a company be audited (for tax) when key parts
are hidden in tax havens, opaque corporate structures?
Do we have selective jurisdiction applied in certain
places & certain people (ACTA, rendition, tax)?


Corporate world long realised that jurisdictions are just a
form of friction... and can be lubricated. Race to the
bottom for regulation and taxes (been going on since at
least the 19th century)


Corporate world long realised that jurisdictions are just a
form of friction... and can be lubricated. Race to the
bottom for regulation and taxes (been going on since at
least the 19th century)
What does a jurisdiction mean when we’re talking about
open data – what is the the applicable law/jurisdiction
for a piece of open data published by the US
government about a UK company & referring to a
German individual?

3
(Low-friction)
data is power

Ability to use data is critical
3 main barriers: access, rights, understanding.


Access: Can you get hold of the data... and if you’re an
incumbent can you prevent others doing the same to
gain a competitive advantage (commonly by having the
data you are buying priced out of their reach)


Rights: Do you have the rights to use this data,
combine it with other data, pass it on to others, work in
a collaborative, distributed way?


Rights: Do you have the rights to use this data,
combine it with other data, pass it on to others, work in
a collaborative, distributed way?
Understanding: Do you have the ability and processes
to actually do something with the data

Big problem for government
(& us)... despite the huge
amount of data they hold

They see data like this

They see data like this ...or maybe this

They work like this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjcase/4092410854

And been persuaded to
restrict access to the people
for a few dollars

Information is the currency
of democracy
Thomas Jefferson

A TA is the currency
Information
D
of democracy
Thomas Jefferson

So, can open data help?

Gives the community a foothold, skin in the game


Allows government to make those walls that separate it
from the people permeable, the ‘open’ in ‘open data’


Allows retooling of government to take advantage of
data, removing silos, ending the culture of monolithic
projects, loosening hierarchies


Allows retooling of government to take advantage of
data, removing silos, ending the culture of monolithic
projects, loosening hierarchies
Allows the data to straddle to cross national
boundaries – essential with environmental, lobbying,
economic, development, corporate data

Yes, but it’s no silver bullet

http://www.ﬂickr.com/photos/eschipul/4160817135/

With the wrong licence the community will be hobbled


They will be outgunned & outspent, so will need powerful
network effects


network effects
Having a government that understands data is not
without its risk, unless there are democratic safeguards


network effects
Where is the democratic
oversight over the ‘community’,
the digerati, non-profits, OKF?


network effects
Where is the democratic
oversight over the ‘community’,
the digerati, non-profits, OKF?
What about national cultural norms, especially privacy?
Do they just strengthen proprietary databases?


A concrete example:
company data

Potted history of
the company

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oldeyankee/2720102926; http://www.flickr.com/photos/toddwickersty/2230065901

Potted history of
the company
Always tensions between the
corporate world and the state


Potted history of
the company
In 19th century states decided to
allow people to set up companies
(previously it took an act of law)


Potted history of
the company
These would have to be registered,
and publish information about their
finances and structure


Potted history of
the company
These would have to be registered,
and publish information about their
finances and structure
That’s when the fun started... and
the hackers got involved

[digression] Hackers?
Without doubt the world’s most successful, best
rewarded, and skilled hackers in the world are
corporate tax lawyers.

Make the rules work for them – within days of a new
rules (tax code) being issued, they’ve figured out a way
to game them to their (clients’) advantage.

Unlimited access to simple but powerful tools – cost
not a problem.

not a problem.
Agile, highly focused, amoral, able to understand and
work multiple systems (jurisdictions) simultaneously

not a problem.
Agile, highly focused, amoral, able to understand and
work multiple systems (jurisdictions) simultaneously
More or less untouchable by the law.

Always a slightly unequal
battle, but at least arguably
comparable when...

...and share
certificates
like this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kt/418938142

...and
company
reports
looked
like this
(i.e. on paper)

Actually they still do to ordinary users and the government,
and that’s (one of) the problems

Massive asymmetry of
information.
Even bigger asymmetry of
friction (for governments,
community, SMEs,
innovators...)

Is this important?
What does government
collect about companies,
anyway?

The ‘companies’ are just
words

Not
connected
to the most
important
data of all...

Company Registries:
The data that defines the corporate entity

[Another
digression] The DUNS number

[Another
Genius idea. Developed by Dun &
Bradstreet in 1962

[Another
Bradstreet in 1962
Create a monopoly ID system

[Another
Bradstreet in 1962
Get governments around the world
to use it instead of the company
IDs they created themselves...

[Another
Bradstreet in 1962
Persuade them to integrate deeply
into their systems, & thus do the
selling for you

[Another
Bradstreet in 1962
Persuade them to integrate deeply
into their systems, & thus do the
selling for you
Assert your IP so that they can’t
use it freely (as in free speech)

If you don’t
think this
affects your
life, you’ve
slept through
the past few
years
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aaronjacobs/64368770

A url for every company in
the world
Based on the company number and jurisdiction
(no monopoly id)

Google Refine reconciliation
service

So what does this all mean?
Hint: everything I needed to know about Open
Data I learned from Open Source

It’s all about the licence
Otherwise a two-stage world:
the data-haves, and the data-have-nots

Even then, it’s going to be
tough for democracy
And it possibly won’t look like the
one we have today

Open Global Data: A Threat Or Saviour For Democracy

Open Global Data: A Threat Or Saviour For Democracy

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