Big data: how much is too much?

“I think we’re going to ask in the upcoming years: what data do we use and what for? The experience is becoming more personalized in real time. With big data we make everything context relevant, but how far should we push this? What are the limits of gathering information, often without people even knowing it, even if it means we can offer things more relevant to them?”           

World Economic Forum

Lies, damned lies and... The sanctity of trade statistics

“In trade as elsewhere, the new administration seems prone to using statistics as a drunk uses a lamppost—for support rather than illumination.”  “Fiddling the figures might move the lamppost; it will still leave the future direction of trade in the dark.”

The Economist

Statistics watchdog warns government over homelessness figures

“Grender said the government “has been caught out playing a numbers game, rather than accepting there is a problem, and getting on with the more important work of finding solutions”

The Guardian

Le big data, révolution silencieuse dans l'agriculture française

“ Si l'agriculture conserve une image "traditionnelle", elle est devenue l'un des secteurs les plus digitalisés de France. 70% des agriculteurs utilisent désormais des applications dans un cadre professionnel, et près de la moitié des tracteurs sont désormais équipés de GPS perfectionnés qui vont jusqu'à piloter automatiquement la machine. “

L’Obs

The Data Revolution in Developing Countries Has a Long Way to Go

“New technologies and increasing political will for acquiring and using better data are signs of progress. But without the skills and infrastructure needed to utilize data, the ‘data revolution’ will remain an aspirational notion for many developing countries.”

Forbes

The Guardian view on big data: the danger is less democracy

“Our model of democracy is based on public campaigning followed by private voting. These developments threaten to turn this upside down, so that voting intentions are pretty much publicly known but the arguments that influence them are made in secret, concealed from the wider world where they might be contested.”

The Guardian

Is the data revolution a game changer in the fight against corruption?

“Despite its promise, big and open data is not an anti-corruption panacea. There are four key considerations to fully exploit data for the fight against corruption, for government agencies and civil society alike”

World Economic Forum

Justice and health: Data revolution delivers

“Better connectivity and big data can help bring decision-makers closer to data and analysis. So far, few agreements have been brokered with the telecoms companies, banks and other data-owners. UNDP and Pulse Lab Jakarta are working with the Government to see how big data can help fill the information gaps faced by Indonesian policy makers.”

The Jakarta Post

By numbers: breaking down the key facts behind the Oscars

The Guardian

International Conference on Data Revolution for Policy Makers 2017

21-22 February 2017 – Jakarta, Indonesia