Principles

Doing the right thing with data

Ethical data is not about slowing innovation. It is about designing technology that people can trust. Each principle below connects everyday data practice to one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

1 Contribute to society and human well-being: Data projects should serve the public good, not only business goals. Mining techniques must improve lives, respect human rights, and avoid reinforcing disadvantage.

SDG 3SDG 10SDG 16
2 Avoid harm: Before collecting or analysing data, assess possible harms, especially privacy loss, bias, or reputational damage, and design safeguards to prevent them.

SDG 3SDG 16
3 Be honest and trustworthy: Be transparent about data sources, model limits, and potential errors. Never falsify, exaggerate, or conceal results.

SDG 6
4 Be fair and do not discriminate: Detect and correct bias in datasets and algorithms. Ensure models work fairly across age, gender, race, and background.

SDG 10
5 Respect creative work and intellectual property: When re-using datasets, algorithms, or research, credit the creators and follow licenses.

SDG 9
6 Respect privacy: Collect only the minimum data needed, store it securely, and explain how it will be used. Allow people to view, correct, or delete their information.

SDG 3SDG 16
7 Honour confidentiality: If you hold sensitive or propriety data, protect it unless disclosure is legally or ethically required to prevent harm.

SDG 16
8 Evaluate systems for quality and risk: Audit data-mining systems for accuracy, reliability, and unintended side-effects. Report major risks and correct them promptly.

SDG 9
9 Design for security and robustness: Strong security is part of ethics. Protect data against misuse and update defences as threats evolve.

SDG 9

Ethical data mining follows one simple rule: the public good comes first. By following these principles, we connect technology with trust, responsibility, and the UN goals for a fair and sustainable digital future.