Report of the Independent Surveillance Review
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wider benefit. Depending on the application, the data could come from a single device
or range of devices. Questions will undoubtedly arise about who owns this data, where
it goes, who it is shared with and for what purpose.
The Information Age
1.32
Data is the most valuable commodity of the digital society. The public’s use of the
Internet has led to an unprecedented supply of information about individuals and their
activity, movements and behaviour. Most public- and private-sector organisations in the
UK collect and analyse data, albeit to achieve varying ends. In the public sector, data
is used by government departments, law enforcement and the SIAs to anticipate and
meet social needs, maintain public order, and identify and respond to threats to national
security. In the private sector, data can enable companies to be more efficient and
respond to market trends and consumer demand. It can also be monetised for marketing
and advertising purposes.
1.33
‘Data’ is a broad term describing a number of different types of information. UK
population statistics, an individual’s telephone record and the content of a Twitter feed
all come under the term ‘data’ (and will all be of value to different organisations). Data
typically takes one of two formats: structured data, where information can be stored and
classified in different ways (such as records and fields in a database or spreadsheet); and
unstructured data, where information cannot be placed in a tabulated format (particularly
from voice, image or video sources). There are a number of terms relating to data that
are relevant to this review, particularly in the context of citizen communications.
Personal Data
1.34
Personal data is not necessarily data that a citizen wishes to keep private. Rather, it is
defined as data which relate to a living individual, who can be identified from that data
or from that data combined with other information which is in the possession of, or
is likely to come into the possession of, the data controller.40 For example, the advent
of social media has meant that citizens freely and openly publish personal data about
themselves, including visited locations, relationships, photos and contact information.
Whether or not data is considered by the individual as genuinely private or sensitive will
largely be context-specific.
Big Data
1.35
In recent years societies have seen an exponential growth in data. Some estimates
suggest that 90 per cent of all the data in the world has been generated over the last
two years. Google processes more than 24 petabytes of data – equivalent to over ninetysix US Libraries of Congress – per day; Facebook has more than 10 million new photos
40. Data Protection Act, Part I, Section I.