Privacy Value Networks

As PVN draws to a close, we will be having two final workshops to disseminate some our results. Please join us!

Anonymity, Privacy, and Open Data
Wednesday 7 December 2011 16:00 – 18:00
Location: Church House Conference Centre, Dean’s Yard, Westminster, London SW1P 3NZ.

This event will consider how anonymity can protect privacy, and how effective “anonymisation” algorithms can be in protecting published health, education and other types of sensitive data. Speakers include Dr Kieron O’Hara, author of the Cabinet Office’s Transparency and Privacy Review; Ross Anderson, professor of security engineering at the University of Cambridge; and Jim Killock, executive director of the Open Rights Group. Also featured are Steve Wood, who is leading the Information Commissioner’s Office work on a code of practice on anonymisation; and Professor Graham Greenleaf from the University of New South Wales, on the legal right to transactional anonymity in privacy principles.

Midata or Their Data? Controlling Your Own Customer Record
Wednesday 14 December 2011 14:00 – 17:00
Location: Room 051, Computer Science Department, Wolfson Building, Parks Road, OX1 3QD.

The UK government’s Midata initiative will see 26 major businesses give customers access to their personal data in portable, electronic format. This should allow consumers to better understand their own behaviour (supporting, for example, energy efficiency), and to shop around for better deals. Consumer groups including Which? have been developing privacy principles for this service, while start-ups like Mydex are developing technology to let individuals manage their own personal data ‘lockers’. At this workshop we will hear from some of the key Midata government, industry and civil society stakeholders, and discuss how to maximise benefits to individuals and the economy while minimising risks of data spills and other threats.

PVN is organising an ‘unconference’ on 20th September at Birkbeck College in London. This will be an informal event whose theme will be ‘the role of privacy in achieving social inclusion through financial inclusion’. The aim of the day is to foster innovations and the creation and development of new ideas by bringing together key groups of interested individuals.

Dave Birch will be chairing the day, so there promises to be a plethora of lively and informative discussion. The event will run from 10am until 4pm, with registration from 9:30am.

As this is a Not for Profit event, there will be a nominal fee of £10 to attend, as a contribution towards reading materials and refreshments. You can register here. To encourage discussion in advance of the event, we have also opened a meetup page.