Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Katya Abazajian is a current fellow at Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation who is passionate about open data and civic tech. Katya’s newsletter, Civic Source, explores the gaps in the governance of public data and tech systems that matter to our communities. In this fireside chat, Katya highlights the importance of using data to create open and just cities.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Through her work in research and organizing, Katya is helping governments and community organizations find meaningful uses for data and technology that center the rights of residents and their communities.
What is a public information request?
Cities collect tons of data on practically anything. Unless it’s a threat to public safety as determined by an attorney, all of this information can be requested as a Public Information request.
Governments are expected to put all their information online. FOIA, or the Freedom of Information Act, is a law from the 60s that requires that ALL government information is publicly available. It's on the attorneys to decide if releasing it causes harm.
The OPEN Government Data Act passed in 2017 sets the expectation for fed/state/local governments to have a PROACTIVE process for disclosing information instead of having citizens request it. This is called proactive disclosures. However, lots of cities aren't fully on board with this.
What’s the difference between surveillance and open data?
I believe this comes down to two things: individual data rights (people should have to consent to their information being used) and governance (you should also have a right to decide how your information is being used).
What are some tips for submitting public information requests?
It's a strategic process to figure out what you're asking. Think of the person on the other end of this request—relationships come in handy. Appeals are expensive, so you want to win on the first try. Know whom you're targeting, what specific piece of info you're seeking, and keep it simple.
Journalists are a great resource because they submit these regularly. MuckRock is also another great tool.
What are some examples of public information requests?
I worked to prevent Shot Spotter, a technology that allows audio surveillance of citizens. Police use this tool to hear in real-time when gunshots happen. It’s been shown that police find no evidence of gunshots 86% of the time, so I tried to convince the city to cancel this contract. For this request to pass, they needed to find out where these audio surveillance devices are. One way to do that is to submit Public Information Requests for 911 logs.
One negative example is governments outsourcing public data to private corporations. Palantir worked with the city of New Orleans on predictive policing. The city was working on reducing recidivism, so they formed a public-private partnership with Palantir. Public-private partnerships are experimental pilots, which allow companies to get around the rigorous purchasing process that governments have to go through. Through this pilot, "high-risk" individuals were tailed and followed. This evidence was used if a "high-risk" person then committed a crime, and the police department did not disclose the partnership between public data and a private company.
What can we do to push open data advocacy further?
I want to see federal incentives for cooperatives and collectives that are working on this, such as tax incentives or grants. There's not one great piece of legislation about this. We need a personal data regulation like GDPR in the European Union.
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