ICO alone isn't enough to deal with big data issues, warns Policy Exchange

Eddie Copeland tells Big Data Breakfast audience that an Office of Data Responsibility is needed to tackle 'data schizophrenia'

The government should set up an ‘Office of Data Responsibility' in order to get around the ‘data schizophrenia' that plagues the public sector, because the Information Commissioner's Office isn't equipped to deal with big data issues.

That's according to Eddie Copeland, head of the Technology Policy Unit at the Policy Exchange think tank. Copeland made the remarks during a speech at WANdisco's Big Data Breakfast event in London's City Hall.

If the public sector wants to get around negative public perception surrounding the government collecting and mining personal data, it needs to replicate the pattern of the Office for Budget Responsibility, which provides independent analysis on finances.

"We're going to need an Office of Data Responsibility like we have an Office of Budget Responsibility," he said.

"What we need is a code of responsible data analytics for the public sector," he added.

In his speech, Copeland discussed the "interesting divide" between the public sector and private sector when it comes to attitudes on big data use.

"I've probably heard more times than I've had hot dinners, this piece of advice: everything would be absolutely fine if only the public sector would learn from the innovative, data-driven approach of the private sector. That's fine, what does that mean?" he said.

"The biggest innovation in the private sector is the fact they've managed to apply big data analytics to our personal data," Copeland continued, before suggesting that consumers are comfortable with the likes of Tesco, Amazon, Facebook and Google being able to use personal data.

However, he pointed out that when the shoe is on the other foot and the public sector wants to use personal data in order to improve services, the response is much more negative.

"When the public sector does it, however, they say it's outrageous. The media complains, there's a huge public backlash. We saw it with Care.data, we saw it with National ID cards, and we saw it with the proposed release of HMRC data," he said, before asking: "Where does this data schizophrenia come from, what's the cause?"

Copeland argued that the reason people are so uncomfortable about the idea of government using big data, is because unlike with private firms, we can't choose to opt out of using their services.

"Well, with the private sector examples I gave you, as a consumer, I get an immediate, personal, tangible benefit in return for the data. That is not the case with the public sector. With a private company, I can choose not to use their services, government doesn't let us do that," he said.

"There isn't a fundamental difference between the private sector and the public sector. I think that technology has just raced ahead of society's ability to develop the social norms to respond," Copeland added, arguing an Office of Data Responsibility is the solution.