On 4 August, 2011, the Cabinet Office of the UK Government opened a new public consultation on disclosure and access to public sector data.  The consultation, which seeks to “establish a culture of openness” in the public sector, comes soon after a statement from the ICO suggesting that public sector organisations should respond to Freedom of Information requests even when they are made via Twitter.  

The consultation will explore ways to make government more transparent, both by increasing rights of data access for individuals, businesses and organisations, and by enhancing transparency standards within government to increase government accountability.  The consultation will also ask stakeholders whether they believe the Information Commissioner’s Office has sufficient powers to enforce government transparency (primarily through Freedom of Information Act legislation).  

In an effort to make government data more useful to individuals, NGOs, and industry, the document also envisages the release of more useful and compatible data sets, so that better use can be made of public data.  In this context the consultation will explore whether standards for data publication can be established, how the release of different datasets should be prioritised, and how government should use (and allow the use of) its data inventories.

Responses to the consultation must be received by 27 October 2011.

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Photo of Dan Cooper Dan Cooper

Daniel Cooper is co-chair of Covington’s Data Privacy and Cyber Security Practice, and advises clients on information technology regulatory and policy issues, particularly data protection, consumer protection, AI, and data security matters. He has over 20 years of experience in the field, representing…

Daniel Cooper is co-chair of Covington’s Data Privacy and Cyber Security Practice, and advises clients on information technology regulatory and policy issues, particularly data protection, consumer protection, AI, and data security matters. He has over 20 years of experience in the field, representing clients in regulatory proceedings before privacy authorities in Europe and counseling them on their global compliance and government affairs strategies. Dan regularly lectures on the topic, and was instrumental in drafting the privacy standards applied in professional sport.

According to Chambers UK, his “level of expertise is second to none, but it’s also equally paired with a keen understanding of our business and direction.” It was noted that “he is very good at calibrating and helping to gauge risk.”

Dan is qualified to practice law in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium. He has also been appointed to the advisory and expert boards of privacy NGOs and agencies, such as the IAPP’s European Advisory Board, Privacy International and the European security agency, ENISA.