The Impact of Open Data

Abstract

The Open Data reforms spreading across the world seek to revolutionise how government works and how it relates to its citizens, with the potential to bring greater accountability, improved policy-making and greater participation. This panel examines the drivers for these reforms and asks what impact this new wave of online transparency has had. It investigates whether any of the benefits have been seen and whether the reforms have had any unintended consequences or hide political agendas under the neutrality of technological determinism. Given the newness of the changes it will also seek to map possible future patterns.