Councils to test personal data stores 4


Rebecca Thomson writes in Computer Weekly:

Councils and central government departments have joined forces to take part in a prototype of a new personal data store in an attempt to solve the problems raised by the “database state”.

The idea is to give individuals control over their own personal data, allocating people a digital data store which they can then choose to share with different organisations.

Croydon Council, Brent Council and Windsor and Maidenhead Council have all signed up for the project.

The Cabinet Office, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Information Commissioner’s Office are also involved.

Individuals involved will be able to store, manage and transmit basic non-financial data. The company running the project, Mydex Community Interest Company, says it is keen to speak to other local authorities about their willingness to sign up to personal data stores.

There’s more about the prototype on the MyDex web site here. William Heath talks about it in this video clip, and writes about the philosophy behind it here.


4 thoughts on “Councils to test personal data stores

  • Tom Welsh

    Just terrific. So instead of my personal data being stored (and no doubt leaked to private enterprise and criminals) by central government, it is to be stored by local government – and no doubt leaked to private enterprise and criminals.

    Giving citizens a list of options won’t change anything. The problem lies with illegitimate and unauthorised, not with authorised, dissemination of our data. No doubt hard-up local authorities will be able to afford less in the way of security, and will expose the data to a larger variety of hard-up employees keen to supplement their meagre incomes.

  • Tom Welsh

    Just terrific. So instead of my personal data being stored (and no doubt leaked to private enterprise and criminals) by central government, it is to be stored by local government – and no doubt leaked to private enterprise and criminals.

    Giving citizens a list of options won’t change anything. The problem lies with illegitimate and unauthorised, not with authorised, dissemination of our data. No doubt hard-up local authorities will be able to afford less in the way of security, and will expose the data to a larger variety of hard-up employees keen to supplement their meagre incomes.

  • William at Mydex

    No Tom. RTFM here, or rather RTFWP if can take the time to read the White Paper.

    1. Councils store it anyway. This doesnt change that.
    2. Mydex lets you store it, and – shd you wish to have any dealings with the outside world – to provide the necessary data in a secure way under your control, on user-friendly Ts&Cs

    I agree there’s a huge problem of illegitimate/unauthorised disclosure, but I suspect you underestimate the problem of perfectly legal disclosure and the rights people sign away without reading Ts&Cs. Bad enough here, and far worse in the US of course.

    You’re right to be concerned – we’re all concerned. But I don’t share your cynicism. Also I have a fair amount of respect for people working in local authorities and would not speak of them as you do.

    I suggest – if you’re interested in this – you take on board some more background about what the Mydex prototype does. I imagine you and many in No2ID will be interested in the report commissioned by Open Society Foundation from privacy experts at LSE. Any privacy problems they bring to light (and if anyone will, they will) we shall do our level best to address. This project needs critical friends, and I expect No2ID is where we will find a fair few.

    Meanwhile, let’s all enjoy the 23 Oct celebration!

  • William at Mydex

    No Tom. RTFM here, or rather RTFWP if can take the time to read the White Paper.

    1. Councils store it anyway. This doesnt change that.
    2. Mydex lets you store it, and – shd you wish to have any dealings with the outside world – to provide the necessary data in a secure way under your control, on user-friendly Ts&Cs

    I agree there’s a huge problem of illegitimate/unauthorised disclosure, but I suspect you underestimate the problem of perfectly legal disclosure and the rights people sign away without reading Ts&Cs. Bad enough here, and far worse in the US of course.

    You’re right to be concerned – we’re all concerned. But I don’t share your cynicism. Also I have a fair amount of respect for people working in local authorities and would not speak of them as you do.

    I suggest – if you’re interested in this – you take on board some more background about what the Mydex prototype does. I imagine you and many in No2ID will be interested in the report commissioned by Open Society Foundation from privacy experts at LSE. Any privacy problems they bring to light (and if anyone will, they will) we shall do our level best to address. This project needs critical friends, and I expect No2ID is where we will find a fair few.

    Meanwhile, let’s all enjoy the 23 Oct celebration!

Comments are closed.