Understanding our rights to access data
It is helpful to think of data as existing on a spectrum of rights relating to how we can access it, from closed, to shared, to open
As discussed in the previous section, open data is data that is available for anyone to access, use and share. It is published under an open licence that allows it to be used for any purpose. Some data cannot be made open because it contains sensitive information about individuals or groups. It may still be possible to share that data with specific organisations, so long as there are appropriate safeguards in place.
Shared data is data that is only available to certain people or groups, such as researchers. Data that is shared will typically be made available for specific purposes that are defined by, for example, a data sharing agreement. There are many ways in which data can be made accessible, or ‘shared’, with others.
Closed data is data that is held privately within an organisation, like employment contracts and policies, or sales reports.
We believe that if data is made as open as possible – while protecting privacy, confidentiality and security – it will contribute to a world where everyone can collaborate around data to make better decisions, improve efficiency and even help tackle some of the world’s most pressing societal challenges.
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