<p>The state government will revisit its open data policy to allay concerns raised by civil society, especially on monetisation of citizen information, a senior officer said.</p>.<p><em><span class="italic">DH</span></em> was the first, in its October 19 edition, to report on the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/dh-exclusive-karnataka-ready-to-monetise-public-data-1041903.html" target="_blank">government’s data monetisation plan</a> under the new Karnataka Open Data Policy, sparking concerns among activists and data professionals. </p>.<p>While the policy states that only anonymised personal data will be monetised, pro-privacy campaigners are concerned that complete anonymisation is not possible.</p>.<p>“This concern is valid,” Additional Chief Secretary (e-Governance) Rajeev Chawla, who directly reports to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, told <em><span class="italic">DH</span></em>. “We are working with the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Nasscom to learn how citizen data can be kept anonymous and make sure there is no way a person’s identity can be traced or derived.”</p>.<p>The government also noted concerns that the policy was not publicly discussed before it was finalised. “This is just a framework. Of course, I am not saying we should not consult, but I am saying it’s just a framework that is so generic in nature that there can’t be disputes on the framework itself,” he said. </p>.<p>“But we realise that citizens will have comments even on this generic framework. So, we have started the Digital Dialogue initiative where we are talking to civil society. We are trying to understand from them what types of data should be made public. If there are improvements required, then we are open,” he said.</p>.<p>As part of the review, the government will ensure wealthy companies do not monopolise access to public data. </p>.<p>“If the government sells data, are we creating more inequality? People who are stronger in a market tend to buy the data,” Chawla said. “We will see to it that just because you are the Uber of the country you shouldn’t end up getting data that others cannot. The cost of data will be so low that it won’t be like an auction. It will be a nominal cost.”</p>.<p>Chawla, however, argued that the government should monetise public data. “We spend about Rs 100 crore on crop survey and we do crop-cutting experiments. Why shouldn’t the government monetise this data for a small cost? If there is data on average crop yield in one panchayat, it’s not personal data. It’s community data,” he asserted.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
<p>The state government will revisit its open data policy to allay concerns raised by civil society, especially on monetisation of citizen information, a senior officer said.</p>.<p><em><span class="italic">DH</span></em> was the first, in its October 19 edition, to report on the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/dh-exclusive-karnataka-ready-to-monetise-public-data-1041903.html" target="_blank">government’s data monetisation plan</a> under the new Karnataka Open Data Policy, sparking concerns among activists and data professionals. </p>.<p>While the policy states that only anonymised personal data will be monetised, pro-privacy campaigners are concerned that complete anonymisation is not possible.</p>.<p>“This concern is valid,” Additional Chief Secretary (e-Governance) Rajeev Chawla, who directly reports to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, told <em><span class="italic">DH</span></em>. “We are working with the Wadhwani Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Nasscom to learn how citizen data can be kept anonymous and make sure there is no way a person’s identity can be traced or derived.”</p>.<p>The government also noted concerns that the policy was not publicly discussed before it was finalised. “This is just a framework. Of course, I am not saying we should not consult, but I am saying it’s just a framework that is so generic in nature that there can’t be disputes on the framework itself,” he said. </p>.<p>“But we realise that citizens will have comments even on this generic framework. So, we have started the Digital Dialogue initiative where we are talking to civil society. We are trying to understand from them what types of data should be made public. If there are improvements required, then we are open,” he said.</p>.<p>As part of the review, the government will ensure wealthy companies do not monopolise access to public data. </p>.<p>“If the government sells data, are we creating more inequality? People who are stronger in a market tend to buy the data,” Chawla said. “We will see to it that just because you are the Uber of the country you shouldn’t end up getting data that others cannot. The cost of data will be so low that it won’t be like an auction. It will be a nominal cost.”</p>.<p>Chawla, however, argued that the government should monetise public data. “We spend about Rs 100 crore on crop survey and we do crop-cutting experiments. Why shouldn’t the government monetise this data for a small cost? If there is data on average crop yield in one panchayat, it’s not personal data. It’s community data,” he asserted.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
