Summary

Amsterdam’s data strategy focuses on empowering residents and using data to improve city services while ensuring privacy and ethical use. The strategy has two core goals: (1) giving citizens more control over their data by increasing transparency, improving legal frameworks, and promoting responsible alternatives; and (2) ensuring that data about the city benefits the city by securing municipal ownership of data, expanding partnerships with statistical offices, improving representation of underrepresented groups, and promoting open data for public benefit. The strategy also includes actions to address data gaps, improve data-sharing standards, and develop a secure, modern data infrastructure. Through these measures, Amsterdam aims to create a fair, transparent, and citizen-focused data economy.

Goals

1. Give residents more control over their data

The municipality wants residents to have more control over what data is collected about them and how it is used, both in the public and commercial sectors. Amsterdam aims for a fair data economy based on digital rights, where citizens and local organizations have a say in how data that concerns them is managed. Actions to achieve this include:

  • Transparency about which data is collected in public spaces and by whom.
  • Investigating legal options to enforce data control.
  • Developing a public program to improve data literacy.
  • Promoting fair data-sharing platforms such as FairBnb and Gaia-X.
  • Encouraging the national government and the European Commission to improve regulations.

2. Ensure data about the city benefits the city

The municipality wants to use data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public services while protecting privacy. Data about city processes and activities should be accessible to the city government and its residents. Actions to achieve this include:

  • Creating an algorithm registry to increase transparency around how data and algorithms are used by the city.
  • Experimenting with technologies like DECODE, which allow the use of data without storing personal information.
  • Implementing secure and privacy-friendly digital identification tools.

Principles

The data strategy is formulated in accordance with the so-called Tada-Values. These values are the ethical principles that guide Amsterdam’s data use. They were established in 2017 with input from citizens and professionals and form the foundation of the city’s data strategy.

1. Inclusive

Data should contribute to an inclusive society.

  • Data must reflect the diversity of individuals and groups while maintaining equality.
  • Data should never exclude individuals or groups or negatively affect unpredictable human behavior.
  • The city aims to prevent exclusion through conscious data practices.

2. Control

citizens should have control over their data.

  • Individuals must have influence over how their data is collected and used.
  • This control increases independence and the ability to make informed decisions.
  • Data should empower people to participate in society on their own terms.

3. Human Perspective

Data should serve human values and never have the final say.

  • Data represents only a partial view of reality.
  • Human judgment should take precedence over data-driven outcomes.
  • Errors in data use should be handled in a human-centered way.

4. Legitimate and Controlled

Amsterdam residents and visitors should have influence over the city’s digital environment.

  • Data should only be collected and used in a legitimate context.
  • The city ensures that power structures are balanced and that data misuse is prevented.
  • Public and private entities share responsibility for maintaining a fair data landscape.

5. Open and Transparent

Transparency and openness are central to Amsterdam’s data values.

  • The city aims to show clearly what data is collected and how it is accessed.
  • Data should be made publicly available in an open and standardized manner.
  • Transparency creates a shared knowledge base for all residents.

6. For and By Everyone

Data collected by the city and other organizations should benefit everyone.

  • Data about the public space should be accessible and beneficial to all.
  • The city promotes public-private partnerships to ensure that data serves the collective good.
  • Data systems should be designed collaboratively with the involvement of residents.

Measures

For each of the two objectives, the strategy outlines a number of measure or actions to be taken.

1. Citizens Get More Control Over Their Data

The city aims to give residents greater control over their personal data by reforming the data economy and empowering citizens with influence over how their data is collected and used. The strategy outlines these actions:

  • Transparency on Data Collection
    • Companies and organizations collecting data in public spaces must disclose it. The city will explore how to enforce this requirement.
  • Regulation and Legal Framework
    • The city will collaborate with the Institute for Information Law to explore legal and policy options for improving data control.
    • If local regulations are insufficient, the city will push for better rules at the national and EU levels.
  • Data Literacy and Public Awareness
    • The city will develop a public data literacy program in collaboration with the Amsterdam Public Library to help residents understand their data rights.
  • Secure and Ethical Data Processing
    • Data about residents will be processed securely and in full compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
    • The city will promote fair data-sharing platforms (e.g., FairBnb, iShare, Gaia-X) to give citizens more ethical data-sharing options.
  • Promoting Responsible Alternatives
    • The city will work with other cities and governments to create and support a fair data economy.
  • Right to Data Removal
    • The city will explore the development of a “delete my data” button or a similar user-friendly option.
    • This will allow residents to request deletion of their data unless there is a legal obligation to keep it.
  • Testing Innovative Technologies
    • The city will test innovative technologies such as the DECODE project, which allows the use of data without storing personal information.
    • Amsterdam will also work on “Goed-ID,” a secure and privacy-friendly digital identification system, which can be deployed citywide under the Digital Government Act.
  • Algorithm Transparency and Public Feedback
    • The city launched an algorithm registry in September 2020, explaining how data is used in decision-making.
    • Residents will be asked for feedback on the registry, and the system will be further improved based on input from citizens and other governments.

2. Data About the City is for the City

The city aims to ensure that data collected about Amsterdam is accessible for improving public services and is used in a fair and transparent manner. The strategy outlines these actions:

  • Data Ownership in Contracts
    • New agreements with suppliers and partnerships will ensure that data created or collected under these agreements remain the property of the municipality.
    • This ensures that data created with public funds is used for public purposes.
  • Using Existing Data Sources
    • The city will use existing data sources for addressing urban challenges.
    • Amsterdam already has agreements with CBS (Statistics Netherlands) to share data under strict conditions, particularly concerning personal data.
    • Similar partnerships will be explored to reduce the need for data storage and avoid reliance on private data collectors.
  • Addressing Data Gaps
    • Some groups are underrepresented in city datasets, which can affect how well they are served by the municipality.
    • A specialized team will identify and address these gaps to ensure equitable access to services.
    • CBS data will be used, under strict conditions, to identify and fill these gaps.
  • User-Friendly Open Data Policy
    • Frequently requested datasets will be made publicly available by default.
    • An independent information commissioner will be responsible for monitoring and encouraging data transparency.
    • A citizen advisory group will meet quarterly to discuss priorities and issues related to open data.
  • Public Access to More Data
    • More non-sensitive data will be made publicly available to enable the development of apps and services by creative companies and citizens.
    • A European and Dutch campaign will be launched to promote more open data for public benefit.
  • Data for Mobility and Traffic Management
    • A large portion of traffic and mobility data is collected by private companies (e.g., navigation companies).
    • The city will establish clear conditions and frameworks for data sharing with these companies.
    • The city is working on harmonizing mobility data standards across the Netherlands and Europe to simplify data sharing and improve urban mobility services.
  • Modern Data Infrastructure
    • The city will upgrade its data infrastructure to support better data analysis and sharing across city departments.
    • A “digital rights assessment” may be required for large IT projects to ensure compliance with data protection and privacy standards.
  • Strengthening Expertise in Data and AI
    • The city will collaborate with top universities and research institutions to enhance expertise in data science and artificial intelligence (AI).
    • Over 25 student research positions and PhD projects will be created within the municipality to analyze and use city data.
  • Open Source and Transparency
    • The city will promote open-source development and procurement to improve transparency in how city data is used.
  • Using AI for Social Good
    • The city, in partnership with the University of Amsterdam, will research how AI can reduce inequality and ensure AI systems do not increase bias or discrimination.

Facts and Links

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