Emerging Directions in the Study of the Data-Society Interface

Summary

This report surveys the emerging landscape of the "data-society interface" — the ways that new forms of data and analytic methods are transforming social life, governance, and the distribution of power. Challenging the assumption that data are neutral representations of reality, it argues that data are always produced through human choices and embed social and political values, with real consequences for equity, freedom, and democracy. The report poses three overarching questions about surveillance, data standards, and algorithmic decision-making; reviews descriptive, causal, and predictive approaches to analysis; and concludes with a call for urgent investment in data ethics and regulation.

Cite

@misc{marwell2022emerging,
  author = {Marwell, Nicole P. and Day, Cameron},
  title = {Emerging Directions in the Study of the Data-Society Interface},
  howpublished = {Robert Wood Johnson Foundation},
  year = {2022}
}