Statistics New Zealand has begun using an Algorithm Charter for Aotearoa New Zealand that guarantees the secure use of New Zealanders’ personal data by public agencies. This measure, which regulates the use of data and analytics, comes in response to suggestions made within the Algorithm Assessment Report in 2018.
The charter, now signed by two dozen government departments and ministries including Inland Revenue and the Ministry of Justice, sets out transparent guidelines for how information shall henceforth be used in relation to algorithms. The principles of the charter are in compliance with New Zealand’s Te Ao Māori approach.
In this data-powered world, algorithms routinely process copious amounts of data for public as well as private agencies. They speed up the decision-making process, while also allowing for better informed policies. However, such innovations also open the door to potential data privacy risks and unintended biases.
By upholding transparency and accountability, the Algorithm Charter represents a commitment to the proper management of data by government agencies. Minister of Statistics James Shaw explained, “It is important that people have confidence that these algorithms are being used in a fair, ethical, and transparent way. And that’s what this Charter is all about.”
The charter makes New Zealand the first country in the world to regulate the use of private user data in algorithms by public authorities. “Today we have set a world-leading example of how the government can work with diverse groups of people, communities and organisations to improve transparency and accountability in the use of data. It is an example that we hope others will follow,” Mr Shaw added in a press release.