As data has become more powerful, the implications of bad data governance are increasingly known.  A recent study from the University of Sydney highlights the growing concerns among Australians about their online privacy.

Their concerns are not just about data being taken by tech giants such as Facebook however, with around half of respondents fearful that the government would invade their privacy.  The authors advocate a number of measures to improve matters:

1. Tackle privacy concerns head on – The government need to be forthright and upfront in both understanding and accepting the concerns people have, not only in terms of e-government strategies but also in the use of data by the state.
2. Give citizens more control over their data – The recent Australian Law Reform Commission and Australian Productivity Commission inquiries recommended giving citizens much more control over their data, and indeed more enforceable legal rights in terms of their privacy.
3. Tackle the power of data analytics – A core concern of people is how their data is used, especially when it comes to targeting by advertisers and even more so when it comes to electoral campaigning.  For many, there is a line that has long since been crossed in terms of what is acceptable.  These concerns need to be addressed.
4. Look again at plans to centralize public data – Whilst the public are okay with making trade-offs between privacy and the ‘greater good’, they have limits, and those limits are being stretched at the moment.
5. Safeguard content from employers – Citizens are especially worried about their online content being used by employers (both current and prospective), even when it is ostensibly private content.
6. Improve the lot of the gig worker – The gig economy has mushroomed, but citizens feel that the scales are weighted too heavily in favor of the platforms over the workers.  Australians want to see this precarious work better regulated via targeted employment policies.
7. Better regulate online discussions – Most participants agreed that better regulation is needed of online communities, especially social networks that can often appear faceless and difficult to feedback to.
8. Examine the legalities of harmful speech – As online communities grow, so too do the risks of encountering content you find harmful.  Participants believed that regulations need to be improved to take account of such speech.
9. Improve digital education – There was also a strong belief that citizens needed more support in learning about the digital landscape, both in terms of the laws surrounding it and simple guidelines on how to safely and effectively use the web.