Data & Society

Data & Society
Name	Data & Society
Formation	2013
Type	Research institute
Headquarters	New York City
Leader title	Founders
Leader name	Tristan Harris, danah boyd

Data & Society is an independent research institute focused on the social implications of data-centric technologies, algorithmic systems, surveillance infrastructures, and platform-mediated communication. The organization engages in interdisciplinary investigation, public scholarship, and policy engagement to interpret technical change for stakeholders across civil society, philanthropy, and legislative bodies. Its work connects empirical studies, theoretical analysis, and applied recommendations to inform debates about digital rights, labor, and civic life.

Overview

Data & Society convenes researchers, fellows, and affiliates to examine intersections among Silicon Valley, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and New York University actors. Projects draw on methods from Anthropology, Sociology, Computer Science, Law School clinics, and partnerships with organizations such as Mozilla Foundation, Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Knight Foundation, and ACLU. The institute publishes reports, white papers, and briefing materials used by committees in bodies like the United States Congress, European Commission, and agencies including Federal Trade Commission and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Historical Development and Key Concepts

Founded in 2013 amid debates following revelations by Edward Snowden, Data & Society emerged when debates about PRISM (surveillance program), Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal, and the rise of Uber and Airbnb highlighted platform power. Early work addressed algorithmic bias in contexts tied to cases such as Detroit Public Schools (2016) analytics, COMPAS (software) risk assessment controversies, and content moderation seen during events like the 2016 United States presidential election and the 2014 Hong Kong protests (Umbrella Movement). Key concepts developed include algorithmic accountability informed by scholarship related to Latanya Sweeney, Cathy O'Neil, Frank Pasquale, and Virginia Eubanks, as well as notions of data feminism building on work by Cecilia Aragon and Kate Crawford. Research agendas intersect with debates over automated decision-making raised in reports by European Court of Human Rights, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Privacy, and standards discussed at IEEE and World Economic Forum convenings.

Societal Impacts and Applications

Studies from the institute examine impacts on labor in contexts involving Amazon (company), Walmart, FedEx, and gig economy platforms like Lyft and DoorDash alongside public sector deployments in Los Angeles Police Department, New York Police Department, and welfare systems such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Research has explored implications for journalism alongside outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, ProPublica, and BuzzFeed News, and for public health collaborations with institutions like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. Work addresses effects on electoral processes seen during Brexit referendum, Cambridge Analytica scandal, and voter-targeting controversies tied to 2016 United States presidential election and later campaigns, as well as cultural shifts traced through platforms like Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.

Ethical, Legal, and Privacy Considerations

Analyses engage with frameworks from legal authorities such as the General Data Protection Regulation and debates in forums including European Parliament, United Nations General Assembly, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Ethical inquiries draw on precedents and scholarship associated with Stanley Milgram-era experiments, Milgram experiment critiques, and bioethics dialogues exemplified by Belmont Report. Privacy-related research references cases like Carpenter v. United States and policy tools used by Electronic Frontier Foundation and Center for Democracy & Technology. The institute contributes to discourse on informed consent, surveillance capitalism articulated by Shoshana Zuboff, and reparative approaches advocated by scholars such as W.E.B. Du Bois-informed critical data studies.

Governance, Policy, and Regulation

Data & Society briefs lawmakers and participates in convenings with bodies such as the European Commission, United States Congress, Federal Communications Commission, and international standards groups including International Telecommunication Union and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Policy proposals engage with regulatory models exemplified by debates over the California Consumer Privacy Act, the Digital Services Act, algorithmic transparency mandates in New York City and proposals circulating in United Kingdom parliamentary inquiries. The institute collaborates with advocacy groups like Access Now, Privacy International, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and labor organizations including AFL–CIO on governance strategies.

Research, Institutions, and Industry Practices

Data & Society runs fellowships and working groups that interact with academic centers such as Berkman Klein Center, Center for Information Technology Policy, AI Now Institute, Oxford Internet Institute, and industry labs at Google, Microsoft Research, Facebook AI Research, and IBM Research. Methodological approaches include mixed methods referencing ethnographies in the style of Clifford Geertz, computational audits informed by Latanya Sweeney, and participatory action research championed by Paulo Freire. Collaborative outputs influence corporate practices at firms like Palantir Technologies and inform procurement standards for municipalities like San Francisco and Seattle.

Criticisms and Future Directions

Critics note potential capture risks similar to concerns voiced about institutions partnering with Goldman Sachs or accepting philanthropy from large funders like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies, raising questions about independence akin to debates around Think tank transparency. Future directions highlighted include deeper engagement with global South perspectives involving partnerships in India, Brazil, South Africa, and Kenya, expanded attention to climate impacts linked to data center industries such as those run by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, and advancing standards proposed in venues like IEEE and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Anticipated research will probe emergent technologies including Generative pre-trained transformer, quantum computing, and edge-computing deployments in civic infrastructure.

Category:Technology think tanks