Sociedad y bienestar

We live in an increasingly digitalised world where we work, study, inform ourselves and socialise through technologies. In this world, where technology and connectivity have become fundamental pillars of society, digital rights emerge as an essential component to guarantee freedom, privacy and equality in this new online facet of our lives.

Therefore, digital rights are nothing more than the extension of the fundamental rights and freedoms we already benefit from to the virtual environment. In this article we will explore what these rights are, why they are important and what are some of the benchmark initiatives in this area.

What are digital rights and why are they important?

As stated by Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, during the Internet Governance Forum in 2018:

"Humanity must be at the centre of technological evolution. Technology should not use people; we should use technology for the benefit of all".

Technology should be used to improve our lives, not to dominate them. For this to be possible, as has been the case with other transformative technologies in the past, we need to establish policies that prevent as far as possible the emergence of unintended effects or malicious uses. Therefore, digital rights seek to facilitate a humanist digital transformation, where technological innovation is accompanied by protection for people, through a set of guarantees and freedoms that allow citizens to exercise their fundamental rights also in the digital environment. These include, for example:

• Freedom of expression: for uncensored communication and exchange of ideas.
• Right to privacy and data protection: guaranteeing privacy and control over personal information.
• Access to information and transparency: ensuring that everyone has equal access to digital data and services.
• Online security: seeks to protect users from fraud, cyber-attacks and other risks in the digital world.

In a digital environment, where information circulates rapidly and technologies are constantly evolving, guaranteeing these rights is crucial to maintaining the integrity of our interactions, the way we access and consume information, and our participation in public life.

An international framework for digital rights

As technology advances, the concept of digital rights has become increasingly important globally in recent decades. While there is no single global charter of digital rights, there are many global and regional initiatives that point in the same direction: the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Originally, this declaration did not even mention the Internet, as it was proclaimed in 1948 and did not exist at that time, but today its principles are considered fully applicable to the digital world. Indeed, the international community agrees that the same rights that we proclaim for the offline world must also be respected online - "what is illegal offline must also be illegal online".

Furthermore, the United Nations has stressed that internet access is becoming a basic enabler of other rights, so connectivity should also be considered a new human right of the 21st century.

European and international benchmarking initiatives

In recent years, several initiatives have emerged with the aim of adapting and protecting fundamental rights also in the digital environment. For example, Europe has been a pioneer in establishing an explicit framework of digital principles. In January 2023, the European Union proclaimed the European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade, a document that reflects the European vision of a people-centred technological transformation and sets out a common framework for safeguarding citizens' freedom, security and privacy in the digital age. This declaration, together with other international initiatives, underlines the need to harmonise traditional rights with the challenges and opportunities of the digital environment.

The Declaration, jointly agreed by the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, defines a set of fundamental principles that should guide Europe's digital age (you can see a summary in this infographic):

• Focused on people and their rights: Technology must serve people and respect their rights and dignity, not the other way around.
• Solidarity and inclusion: promoting digital inclusion of all social groups, bridging the digital divide.
• Freedom of choice: ensure fair and safe online environments, where users have real choice and where net neutrality is respected.
• Participation in the digital public space: to encourage citizens to participate actively in democratic life at all levels, and to have control over their data.
• Safety and security: increase trust in digital interactions through greater security, privacy and user control, especially protecting minors.
• Sustainability: orienting the digital future towards sustainability, considering the environmental impact of technology.

The European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles therefore sets out a clear roadmap for the European Union's digital laws and policies, guiding its digital transformation process. While this European Declaration does not itself create laws, it does establish a joint political commitment and a roadmap of values. Furthermore, it makes clear that Europe aims to promote these principles as a global standard.

In addition, the European Commission monitors implementation in all Member States and publishes an annual monitoring report, in conjunction with the State of the Digital Decade Report, to assess progress and stay on track. Furthermore, the Declaration serves as a reference in the EU's international relations, promoting a global digital transformation centred on people and human rights.

Outside Europe, several nations have also developed their own digital rights charters, such as the Ibero-American Charter of Principles and Rights in Digital Environments, and there are also international forums such as the Internet Governance Forum which regularly discusses how to protect human rights in cyberspace. The global trend is therefore to recognise that the digital age requires adapting and strengthening existing legal protections, not by creating "new" fundamental rights out of thin air, but by translating existing ones to the new environment.

Spain's Digital Bill of Rights

In line with all these international initiatives, Spain has also taken a decisive step by proposing its own Charter of Digital Rights. This ambitious project aims to define a set of specific principles and guarantees to ensure that all citizens enjoy adequate protection in the digital environment. Its goals include:

• Define privacy and security standards that respond to the needs of citizens in the digital age.
• Encourage transparency and accountability in both the public and private sectors.
• To promote digital inclusion, ensuring equitable access to technologies and information.

In short, this national initiative represents an effort to adapt regulations and public policies to the challenges of the digital world, strengthening citizens' confidence in the use of new technologies. Moreover, since it was published as early as July 2021, it has also contributed to subsequent reflection processes at European level, including the European Declaration mentioned above.

The Spanish Digital Bill of Rights is structured in six broad categories covering the areas of greatest risk and uncertainty in the digital world:

1. Freedom rights: includes classic freedoms in their digital dimension, such as freedom of expression and information on the Internet, ideological freedom in networks, the right to secrecy of digital communications, as well as the right to pseudonymity.
2. Equality rights: aimed at avoiding any form of discrimination in the digital environment, including equal access to technology (digital inclusion of the elderly, people with disabilities or in rural areas), and preventing bias or unequal treatment in algorithmic systems.
3. Participation rights and shaping of public space: this refers to ensuring citizen and democratic participation through digital media. It includes electoral rights in online environments, protection from disinformation and the promotion of diverse and respectful online public debate.
4. Rights in the work and business environment: encompasses the digital rights of workers and entrepreneurs. A concrete example here is the right to digital disconnection of the worker. It also includes the protection of employee privacy from digital surveillance systems at work and guarantees in teleworking, among others.
5. Digital rights in specific environments: this addresses particular areas that pose their own challenges, for example the rights of children and adolescents in the digital environment (protection from harmful content, parental control, right to digital education); digital inheritance (what happens to our data and accounts on the Internet after our death); digital identity (being able to manage and protect our online identity); or rights in the emerging world of artificial intelligence, the metaverse and neurotechnologies.
6. Effectiveness and safeguards: this last category focuses on how to ensure that all these rightsare actually fulfilled. The Charter seeks to ensure that people have clear ways to complain in case of violations of their digital rights and that the authorities have the tools to enforce their rights on the internet.

As the government pointed out in its presentation, the aim is to "reinforce and extend citizens' rights, generate certainty in this new digital reality and increase people's confidence in the face of technological disruption". In other words, no new fundamental rights are created, but emerging areas (such as artificial intelligence or digital identity) are recognised where it is necessary to clarify how existing rights are applied and guaranteed.

The Digital Rights Observatory

The creation of a Digital Rights Observatory in Spain has recently been announced, a strategic tool aimed at continuously monitoring, promoting and evaluating the state and evolution of these rights in the country with the objective of contributing to making them effective. The Observatory is conceived as an open, inclusive and participatory space to bring digital rights closer to citizens, and its main functions include:

• To push for the implementation of the Digital Bill of Rights, so that the ideas initially set out in 2021 do not remain theoretical, but are translated into concrete actions, laws and effective policies.
• To monitor compliance with the regulations and recommendations set out in the Digital Bill of Rights.
• Fighting inequality and discrimination online, helping to reduce digital divides so that technological transformation does not leave vulnerable groups behind.
• Identify areas for improvement and propose measures for the protection of rights in the digital environment.
• Detect whether the current legal framework is lagging behind in the face of new challenges from disruptive technologies such as advanced artificial intelligence that pose risks not covered by current laws.
• Encourage transparency and dialogue between government, institutions and civil society to adapt policies to technological change.

Announced in February 2025, the Observatory is part of the Digital Rights Programme, a public-private initiative led by the Government, with the participation of four ministries, and financed by the European NextGenerationEU funds within the Recovery Plan. This programme involves the collaboration of experts in the field, public institutions, technology companies, universities and civil society organisations. In total more than 150 entities and 360 professionals have been involved in its development.

This Observatory is therefore emerging as an essential resource to ensure that the protection of digital rights is kept up to date and responds effectively to the emerging challenges of the digital age.

Conclusion

Digital rights are a fundamental pillar of 21st century societyand their consolidation is a complex task that requires the coordination of initiatives at international, European and national levels. Initiatives such as the European Digital Rights Declaration and other global efforts have laid the groundwork, but it is the implementation of specific measures such as the Spanish Digital Rights Charter and the new Digital Rights Observatory that will make the difference in ensuring a free, safe and equitable digital environment for all.

In short, the protection of digital rights is not only a legislative necessity, but an indispensable condition for the full exercise of citizenship in an increasingly interconnected world. Active participation and engagement of both citizens and institutions will be key to building a fair and sustainable digital future. If we can realise these rights, the Internet and new technologies will continue to be synonymous with opportunity and freedom, not threat. After all, digital rights are simply our old rights adapted to modern times, and protecting them is the same as protecting ourselves in this new digital age.

Content prepared by Carlos Iglesias, Open data Researcher and consultant, World Wide Web Foundation. The contents and views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the author.

March is approaching and with it a new edition of the Open Data Day. It is an annual worldwide celebration that has been organised for 12 years, promoted by the Open Knowledge Foundation through the Open Knowledge Network. It aims to promote the use of open data in all countries and cultures.

This year's central theme is "Open data to address the polycrisis". The term polycrisis refers to a situation where different risks exist in the same time period. This theme aims to focus on open data as a tool to address, through its reuse, global challenges such as poverty and multiple inequalities, violence and conflict, climate risks and natural disasters.

If several years ago the activities were limited to a single day, from 2023 we have a week to enjoy various conferences, seminars, workshops, etc. centred on this theme. Specifically, in 2025, Open Data Day activities will take place from 1 to 7 March.

Through its website you can see the various activities that will take place throughout the week all over the world. In this article we review some of those that you can follow from Spain, either because they take place in Spain or because they can be followed online.

Open Data Day 2025: Women Leading Open Data for Equality

Iniciativa Barcelona Open Data is organising a session on the afternoon of 6 March focusing on how open data can help address equality challenges. The event will bring together women experts in data technologies and open data, to share knowledge, experiences and best practices in both the publication and reuse of open data in this field.

The event will start at 17:30 with a welcome and introduction. This will be followed by two panel discussions and an interview:

• Round Table 1. Publishing institutions. Gender-sensitive data strategy to address the feminist agenda.
• DIALOGUE Data lab. Building feminist Tech Data practice.
• Round Table 2. Re-users. Projects based on the use of open data to address the feminist agenda.

The day will end at 19:40 with a cocktail and the opportunity for attendees to discuss the topics discussed and expand their network through networking.

How can you follow the event? This is an in-person event, which will be held at Ca l'Alier, Carrer de Pere IV, 362 (Barcelona).

Registration

Open access scientific and scholarly publishing as a tool to face the 21st century polycrisis: the key role of publishers

Organised by a private individual, Professor Damián Molgaray, this conference looks at the key role of editors in open access scientific and scholarly publishing. The idea is for participants to reflect on how open knowledge is positioned as a fundamental tool to face the challenges of the 21st century polycrisis, with a focus on Latin America.

The event will take place on 4 March at 11:00 in Argentina (15:00 in mainland Spain).

How can you follow the event? This is an online event through Google Meet.

Registration

WhoFundsThem

The organisation mySociety will show the results of its latest project. Over the last few months, a team of volunteers has collected data on the financial interests of the 650 MPs in the UK House of Commons, using sources such as the official Register of Interests, Companies House, MPs' attendance at debates etc. This data, checked and verified with MPs themselves through a 'right of reply' system, has been transformed into an easily accessible format, so that anyone can easily understand it, and will be published on the parliamentary tracking website TheyWorkForYou.

At this event, the project will be presented and the conclusions will be discussed. It takes place on Tuesday 4 at 14:00 London time (15:00 in Spain peninsular).

How can you follow the event? The session can be followed online, but registration is required. The event will be in English.

Registration

Science on the 7th: A conversation on Open Data & Air Quality

El viernes 7 a las 9:00 EST – (15:00 en España peninsular) se podrá seguir online una conferencia sobre datos abiertos y calidad del aire. La sesión reunirá a diversos expertos para debatir los temas de actualidad en materia de calidad del aire y salud mundial, y se examinará la contaminación atmosférica procedente de fuentes clave, como las partículas, el ozono y la contaminación relacionada con el tráfico.

Esta iniciativa está organizada por Health Effects Institute, una corporación sin ánimo de lucro que proporciona datos científicos sobre los efectos de la contaminación atmosférica en la salud.

A conference on open data and air quality will be available online on Friday 7 at 9:00 EST (15:00 in mainland Spain). The session will bring together a range of experts to discuss topical issues in air quality and global health, and will examine air pollution from key sources such as particulate matter, ozone and traffic-related pollution.

This initiative is organised by Health Effects Institute, a non-profit corporation that provides scientific data on the health effects of air pollution.

How can you follow the event? The conference, which will be in English, can be viewed on YouTube. No registration is required.

Watch the event online

Deadline open for new event proposals

The above events are just a few examples of the activities that are part of this global celebration, but, as mentioned above, you can see all the actions on the initiative's website.

In addition, the deadline for registering new events is still open. If you have a proposal, you can register it via this link.

From datos.gob.es we invite you to join this week of celebration, which serves to vindicate the power of open data to generate positive changes in our society. Don't miss it!

Data on older people can play a crucial role in promoting healthy ageing, assisting the development and maintenance of the physical and mental capacities that enable well-being in old age. This open data can be used for the development of policies to better respond to the needs of older people, such as the promotion of home care services or the creation of more accessible and safer urban spaces. They can also be used by researchers to analyse patterns and trends in your health, or by companies and developers devising solutions to improve your quality of life.  Also, such open data enables older people and their families to access relevant information about their health and well-being, empowering them to make informed choices and actively participate in their care. And these are just a few examples of possible uses!

In this article, we are going to explain two projects, linked to the Barcelona Open Data Initiative, which seek to promote the provision of data on the elderly to the public, with the aim of promoting its reuse and achieving benefits such as those mentioned above.

Ranking 50 datasets on healthy ageing

A few months ago, the Barcelona Open Data Initiative, with the support of the Diputació de Barcelona, launched a call through their social networks to identify the fifty best datasets on wellbeing and healthy ageing of older people. Through this collaborative action, to which various users have contributed, a ranking has been drawn up and is now available.

Here are some examples of datasets and the thematic categories to which they belong. All of them are suitable for re-use and offer information of great social value.

• Data related to public support, such as public support for elderly care or home help services..
• Data on services and resources available, such as services for dependent persons (day centre for older people and residence for older people), the inclusive community action resources or the active ageing workshops..
• Data related to aspects about their social situation , such as active older people, loneliness in older people or the gender digital divide.
• Data related to survey and statistics, such as the survey of users of the Telecare Service, lthe statistics on social services for the elderly or the ageing evolution of the population over 65 years of age from 2024-1975.
• Data from studies on the subject, such as the study on the accessibility of public buildings or the study on the satisfaction of users of the Meals on Wheels service..

These are just a few examples, but you can consult the complete list on the website of Iniciativa Open Data Barcelona.

 Open Data Barcelona Initiative has also created in previous years compilations of materials and rankings of datasets on other topics of social interest, such as climate change or municipalities with friendly public spaces..

Data Observatory x Seniors

Barcelona Open Data Initiative and the Democratic Union of Pensioners and Retirees of Spain, with support from the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption and Agenda 2030, also presented a few months ago the first Data website of the Data Observatory x Seniors. Its aim is to facilitate the analysis of healthy ageing in Spain, strategic decision-making and public intervention in rural and urban environments, in order to promote the autonomy, dignity and adaptability of older people.

At the moment, you can find it on this website:

• A database where data sets from various sources, such as the National Statistics Institute (INE) or the Ministry of the Interior, arecollected.
• A space where data is displayed in a simple way through interactive graphics, aimed at both private citizens interested in the subject and professionals who want to plan, organise or propose some kind of related service. The visualisations focus on the intervention of older people in the world of associations, segmented by urban and rural municipalities, as well as their involvement in other forms of participation and leisure activities that promote social interaction and well-being in general.

The idea is that the portal will also include training tools and options.

These two projects highlight examples of categories of data and tools that can be made available to citizens in order to understand how older people live and act, with the aim of improving their quality of life. A goal to which we must all contribute, as highlighted by the World Health Organisation with its Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) initiative. In the face of demographic change and the ageing of the population that we are experiencing, it is necessary to join forces to ensure that we can all enjoy an old age with the maximum possible well-being.

Open data can transform how we interact with our cities, offering opportunities to improve quality of life. When made publicly available, they enable the development of innovative applications and tools that address urban challenges, from accessibility to road safety and participation.

Real-time information can have positive impacts on citizens. For example, applications that use open data can suggest the most efficient routes, considering factors such as traffic and ongoing construction; information on the accessibility of public spaces can improve mobility for people with disabilities; data on cycling or pedestrian routes encourages greener and healthier modes of transport; and access to urban data can empower citizens to participate in decision-making about their city. In other words, citizen use of open data not only improves the efficiency of the city and its services, but also promotes a more inclusive, sustainable and participatory city.

To illustrate these ideas, this article discusses maps for "navigating" cities, made with open data. In other words, initiatives are shown that improve the relationship between citizens and their urban environment from different aspects such as accessibility, school safety and citizen participation. The first project is Mapcesible, which allows users to map and assess the accessibility of different locations in Spain. The second, Eskola BideApp, a mobile application designed to support safe school routes. And finally, maps that promote transparency and citizen participation in urban management. The first identifies noise pollution, the second locates available services in various areas within 15 minutes and the third displays banks in the city. These maps use a variety of public data sources to provide a detailed overview of different aspects of urban life.

The first initiative is a project of a large foundation, the second a collaborative and local proposal, and the third a personal project. Although they are based on very different approaches, all three have in common the use of public and open data and the vocation to help people understand and experience the city. The variety of origins of these projects indicates that the use of public and open data is not limited to large organisations.

Below is a summary of each project, followed by a comparison and reflection on the use of public and open data in urban environments.

Mapcesible, map for people with reduced mobility

Mapcessible was launched in 2019 to assess the accessibility of various spaces such as shops, public toilets, car parks, accommodation, restaurants, cultural spaces and natural environments.

Figure 1. Mapcesible. Source: https://mapcesible.fundaciontelefonica.com/intro

This project is supported by organizations such as the NGO Spanish Confederation of People with Physical and Organic Disabilities (COCEMFE) and the company ILUNION. It currently has more than 40,000 evaluated accessible spaces and thousands of users.

Figure 2. Mapcesible. Source: https://mapcesible.fundaciontelefonica.com/filters

Mapcesible uses open data as part of its operation. Specifically, the application incorporates fourteen datasets from official bodies, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, city councils of different cities (including Madrid and Barcelona) and regional governments. This open data is combined with information provided by the users of the application, who can map and evaluate the accessibility of the places they visit. This combination of official data and citizen collaboration allows Mapcesible to provide up-to-date and detailed information on the accessibility of various spaces throughout Spain, thus benefiting people with reduced mobility.

Eskola BideAPP, application to define safe school routes.

Eskola BideAPP is an application developed by Montera34 - a team dedicated to data visualisation and the development of collaborative projects - in alliance with the Solasgune Association to support school pathways. Eskola BideAPP has served to ensure that boys and girls can access their schools safely and efficiently. The project mainly uses public data from the OpenStreetMap, e.g. geographical and cartographic data on streets, pavements, crossings, as well as data collected during the process of creating safe routes for children to walk to school in order to promote their autonomy and sustainable mobility.

The application offers an interactive dashboard to visualise the collected data, the generation of paper maps for sessions with students, and the creation of reports for municipal technicians. It uses technologies such as QGIS (a free and open source geographic information system) and a development environment for the R programming language, dedicated to statistical computing and graphics.

The project is divided into three main stages:

1. Data collection through questionnaires in classrooms.
2. Analysis and discussion of results with the children to co-design personalised routes.
3. Testing of the designed routes.

Figure 3. Eskola BideaAPP. Photo by Julián Maguna (Solasgune). Source: https://montera34.com/project/eskola-bideapp/

Pablo Rey, one of the promoters of Montera34 together with Alfonso Sánchez, reports for this article that Eskola BideAPP, since 2019, has been used in eight municipalities, including Derio, Erandio, Galdakao, Gatika, Plentzia, Leioa, Sopela and Bilbao. However, it is currently only operational in the latter two. "The idea is to implement it in Portugalete at the beginning of 2025," he adds.

It''s worth noting the maps from Montera34 that illustrated the effect of Airbnb in San Sebastián and other cities, as well as the data analyses and maps published during the COVID-19 pandemic, which also visualized public data.In addition, Montera34 has used public data to analyse abstention, school segregation, minor contracts or make open data available to the public. For this last project, Montera34 has started with the ordinances of the Bilbao City Council and the minutes of its plenary sessions, so that they are not only available in a PDF document but also in the form of open and accessible data.

Mapas de Madrid sobre contaminación acústica, servicios y ubicación de bancos

Abel Vázquez Montoro has made several maps with open data that are very interesting, for example, the one made with data from the Strategic Noise Map (MER) offered by the Madrid City Council and land registry data. The map shows the noise affecting each building, facade and floor in Madrid.

Figure 4. Noise maps in Madrid. Source: https://madb.netlify.app/.

This map is organised as a dashboard with three sections: general data of the area visible on the map, dynamic 2D and 3D map with configurable options and detailed information on specific buildings. It is an open, free, non-commercial platform that uses free and open source software such as GitLab - a web-based Git repository management platform - and QGIS. The map allows the assessment of compliance with noise regulations and the impact on quality of life, as it also calculates the health risk associated with noise levels, using the attributable risk ratio (AR%).

15-minCity is another interactive map that visualises the concept of the "15-minute city" applied to different urban areas, i.e. it calculates how accessible different services are within a 15-minute walking or cycling radius from any point in the selected city.

Figure 5. 15-minCity. Source: https://whatif.sonycsl.it/15mincity/15min.php?idcity=9166

Finally, "Where to sit in Madrid" is another interactive map that shows the location of benches and other places to sit in public spaces in Madrid, highlighting the differences between rich (generally with more public seating) and poor (with less) neighbourhoods. This map uses the map-making tool, Felt, to visualise and share geospatial information in an accessible way. The map presents different types of seating, including traditional benches, individual seats, bleachers and other types of seating structures.

Figure 6. Where to sit in Madrid. Source: https://felt.com/map/Donde-sentarse-en-Madrid-TJx8NGCpRICRuiAR3R1WKC?loc=40.39689,-3.66392,13.97z

Its maps visualise public data on demographic information (e.g. population data by age, gender and nationality), urban information on land use, buildings and public spaces, socio-economic data (e.g. income, employment and other economic indicators for different districts and neighbourhoods), environmental data, including air quality, green spaces and other related aspects, and mobility data.

What do they have in common?

Figure 7. Comparative table of solutions 

These projects share the approach of using open data to improve access to urban services, although they differ in their specific objectives and in the way information is collected and presented. Mapcesible, Eskola BideApp, MAdB and "Where to sit in Madrid" are of great value.

On the one hand, Mapcesible offers unified and updated information that allows people with disabilities to move around the city and access services. Eskola BideApp involves the community in the design and testing of safe routes for walking to school; this not only improves road safety, but also empowers young people to be active agents in urban planning. In the meantime, 15-min city, MER and the maps developed by Vázquez Montoro visualise complex data about Madrid so that citizens can better understand how their city works and how decisions that affect them are made.

Overall, the value of these projects lies in their ability to create a data culture, teaching how to value, interpret and use information to improve communities.

Content created by Miren Gutiérrez, PhD and researcher at the University of Deusto, expert in data activism, data justice, data literacy, and gender disinformation. The contents and viewpoints reflected in this publication are the sole responsibility of the author.​

The digital revolution is transforming municipal services, driven by the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that also benefit from open data. These developments have the potential to redefine the way municipalities deliver services to their citizens, providing tools to improve efficiency, accessibility and sustainability. This report looks at success stories in the deployment of applications and platforms that seek to improve various aspects of life in municipalities, highlighting their potential to unlock more of the vast untapped potential of open data and associated artificial intelligence technologies.

The applications and platforms described in this report have a high potential for replicability in different municipal contexts, as they address common problems. Replication of these solutions can take place through collaboration between municipalities, companies and developers, as well as through the release and standardisation of open data.

Despite the benefits, the adoption of open data for municipal innovation also presents significant challenges. The quality, updating and standardisation of data published by local authorities, as well as interoperability between different platforms and systems, must be ensured. In addition, the open data culture needs to be reinforced among all actors involved, including citizens, developers, businesses and public administrations themselves.

The use cases analysed are divided into four sections. Each of these sections is described below and some examples of the solutions included in the report are shown.

Transport and Mobility

One of the most significant challenges in urban areas is transport and mobility management. Applications using open data have proven to be effective in improving these services. For example, applications such as Park4Dis make it easy to locate parking spaces for people with reduced mobility, using data from multiple municipalities and contributions from volunteers. CityMapper, which has gone global, on the other hand, offers optimised public transport routes in real time, integrating data from various transport modes to provide the most efficient route. These applications not only improve mobility, but also contribute to sustainability by reducing congestion and carbon emissions.

Environment and Sustainability

Growing awareness of sustainability has spurred the development of applications that promote environmentally friendly practices. CleanSpot, for example, facilitates the location of recycling points and the management of municipal waste. The application encourages citizen participation in cleaning and recycling, contributing to the reduction of the ecological footprint. Liight gamifies sustainable behaviour by rewarding users for actions such as recycling or using public transport. These applications not only improve environmental management, but also educate and motivate citizens to adopt more sustainable habits.

Optimisation of Basic Public Services

Urban service management platforms, such as Gestdropper, use open data to monitor and control urban infrastructure in real time. These tools enable more efficient management of resources such as street lighting, water networks and street furniture, optimising maintenance, incident response and reducing operating costs. Moreover, the deployment of appointment management systems, such as CitaME, helps to reduce waiting times and improve efficiency in customer service.

Citizen Services Aggregators

Applications that centralise public information and services, such as Badajoz Es Más and AppValencia, improve accessibility and communication between administrations and citizens. These platforms provide real-time data on public transport, cultural events, tourism and administrative procedures, making life in the municipality easier for residents and tourists alike. For example, integrating multiple services into a single application improves efficiency and reduces the need for unnecessary travel. These tools also support local economies by promoting cultural events and commercial services.

Conclusions

The use of open data and artificial intelligence technologies is transforming municipal management, improving the efficiency, accessibility and sustainability of public services. The success stories presented in this report describe how these tools can benefit both citizens and public administrations by making cities smarter, more inclusive and sustainable environments, and more responsive to the needs and well-being of their inhabitants and visitors.

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The importance of data in today's society and economy is no longer in doubt. Data is now present in virtually every aspect of our lives. This is why more and more countries have been incorporating specific data-related regulations into their policies: whether they relate to personal, business or government data, or to regulate a range of issues such as who can access it, where it can be stored, how it should be protected, and so on.

However, when these policies are examined more closely, significant differences can be observed between them, depending on the main objectives that each country sets when implementing its data policies. Thus, all countries recognise the social and economic value of data, but the policies they implement to maximise that value can vary widely. For some, data is primarily an economic asset, for others it can be a means of innovation and modernisation, and for others a tool for development. In the following, we will review the main features of their data policies, focusing mainly on those aspects related to fostering innovation through the use of data.

A recent report by the Centre for Innovation through Data compares the general policies applicable in several countries that have been selected precisely because of differences in their vision of how data should be managed: China, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

CHINA

Its efforts are focused on building a strong domestic data economy to strengthen national competitiveness and maintain government control through the collection and use of data. It has two agencies from which data policy is directed: the Cyberspace Administration (CAC) and the National Data Administration (NDA).

The main policies governing data in the country are:

• The five-year national informatisation plan, published by the end of 2021 to increase data collection in the national industry.
• The data Security Law (DSL), effective from September 2021, which gives special protection to all data considered to have an impact on national security.
• The cybersecurity law (CSL), effective since June 2017, prohibits online anonymisation and also grants government access to data when required for security purposes.
• The personal Information Protection Act (PIPL), effective from November 2021, which establishes the obligation to keep data on national territory.

INDIA

Its main objective is to use data policy to unlock a new economic resource and drive the modernisation and development of the country. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITy) governs and oversees data policies in the country, which we summarise below:

• The digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023, which aims to enable the processing of personal data in a way that recognises both the right of individuals to protect their data and the need to process it for legitimate purposes.
• The data protection and empowerment architecture (DEPA), which was launched in 2020 and gives citizens greater control over their personal data by establishing intermediaries between information users and providers, as well as providing consent to companies based on a set of permissions established by the user.
• The non-personal data governance framework also adopted in 2020, which states that the benefits of data should also accrue to the community, not just to the companies that collect the data. It also indicates that high-value data and data related to the public interest (e.g. energy, transport, geospatial or health data) should be shared.

SINGAPORE

It aims to use data as a vehicle to attract new companies to operate within the country. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is the entity in charge of managing the data policies in this case, which includes the control of the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC).

Among the most relevant regulations in this case we can find:

• The personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), which was last updated in 2021 and is based on consent, but also provides for some exceptions for legitimate public interest.
• The trust Framework for Data Sharing published in 2019, which sets out standards for data sharing between companies (including templates for establishing legal sharing agreements), albeit with certain protections for trade secrecy.
• The data Portability Obligation (DPO), which will soon be incorporated into the PDPA to establish the right to transmit personal data to another service (provided it is based in the country) in a standard format that facilitates the exchange.

UNITED KINGDOM

It wants to boost the country's economic competitiveness while protecting the privacy of its citizens' data. The Office of the Information information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the body in charge of data protection and data sharing guidelines.

In the case of the United Kingdom, the legislative framework is very broad:

• The core privacy principles, such as data portability or conditions of access to personal data, are covered by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of 2016, the law of Data Protection Act (DPA) of 2018, the Electronic Communications Privacy Regulation of 2013 and the proposed Digital Data and Information Protection Act still under discussion.
• The law on Digital Economy established in 2017, which defines the rules for sharing data between public administrations for the development of public services.
• The Data Sharing Code which came into force in October 2021 and sets out good practices to guide companies when sharing data.
• The Payment Services Directive (PSD2), which initially came into force in 2018 requiring banks to share their data in standardised formats to encourage the development of new services.

EUROPEAN UNION

It uses a human rights-based approach to data protection. The aim is to prioritise the creation of a single market that facilitates the free flow of data between member states. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and the European Data Protection and Innovation through Data Board are the main bodies responsible for supervising data protection in the Union.

Again, the applicable rules are very broad and have continued to expand recently:

• The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has become the most comprehensive and descriptive regulation in the world, and is based on the principles of legality, fairness, transparency, containment, minimisation, accuracy, storage, integrity, confidentiality and accountability.
• The programme for the Digital Decadeto promote a single, interoperable, interconnected and secure digital market.
• The Declaration on Digital Rights and Principleswhich expands on the digital and data rights already existing in the standard of protection.
• The Data Act and the Data Governance Regulation which facilitate accessibility to data horizontally accessibility to data horizontally, i.e. across and within sectors, following EU principles. The Data Law drives harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data, clarifying who can create value from data and under what conditions. The Data Governance Regulation regulates the secure exchange of data sets held by public bodies over which third party rights concur, as well as data brokering services and the altruistic transfer ofdata for the benefit of society for the benefit of society.

The keys to promoting innovation

In general, we could conclude that those data policies that adopt a more innovation-oriented approach are characterised by the following:

1. Data protection based on different levels of risk, prioritising the protection of the most sensitive personal data, such as medical or financial information, while reducing regulatory costs for less sensitive data.
2. Sharing frameworks for personal and non-personal data, encouraging data sharing by default in both the public and private sector and removing barriers to voluntary data sharing.
3. Facilitating the flow of data, supporting an open and competitive digital economy.
4. Proactive data production policies, encouraging the use of data as a factor of production by collecting data in various sectors and avoiding data gaps.

As we have seen, data policies have become a strategic issue for many countries, not only helping to reinforce their goals and priorities as a nation, but also sending signals about what their priorities and interests are on the international stage. Striking the right balance between data protection and fostering innovation is one of the key challenges. Before addressing their own policies, countries are advised to invest time in analysing and understanding the various existing approaches, including their strengths and weaknesses, and then take the most appropriate specific steps in designing their own strategies.

Content prepared by Carlos Iglesias, Open data Researcher and consultant, World Wide Web Foundation. The contents and views expressed in this publication are the sole responsibility of the author.

There is never an end to opportunities to discuss, learn and share experiences on open data and related technologies. In this post, we select some of the upcoming ones, and tell you everything you need to know: what it's about, when and where it takes place and how you can register.

Don't miss this selection of events on cutting-edge topics such as geospatial data, accessible data reuse strategies and even innovative trends in data journalism. the best thing? All are free of charge.

Let's talk about data in Alicante

The National Association of Big Data and Analytics (ANBAN) is organising an open and free event in Alicante to debate and exchange views on data and artificial intelligence. During the meeting, not only will use cases that relate data with AI be presented, but also a part of the event will be dedicated to encourage networking among the attendees.

• What is it about? let's talk about data' will start with two talks on artificial intelligence projects that are already making an impact. Afterwards, the course on AI organised by the University of Alicante together with ANBAN will be explained. The final part of the event will be more relaxed to encourage attendees to make valuable connections.
• When and where? Thursday 29 February at 20.30h at ULAB (Pza. San Cristóbal, 14) in Alicante.
• How do I register? Book your place by signing up here: https://www.eventbrite.es/e/entradas-hablemos-del-dato-beers-alicante-823931670807?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm_source=rrss&utm_medium=colaborador&utm_campaign=HDD-ALC-2902

Open Data Day in Barcelona: Re-using data to improve the city

Open Data Day is an international event that brings together open data activities around the world. Within this framework, the barcelona Open Data initiative initiative has organised an event to discuss projects and strategies for the publication and reuse of open data to make a clean, safe, friendly and accessible city possible.

• What is it about? Through open data projects and data-driven strategies, the challenge of security, coexistence of uses and maintenance of shared spaces in municipalities will be addressed. The aim is to generate dialogue between organisations that publish and reuse data to add value and develop strategies together.
• When and where? On 6 March from 5 to 7.30 p.m. at Ca l'Alier (C/ de Pere IV, 362).
• How do I register? Through this link: https://www.eventbrite.es/e/entradas-open-data-day-2024-819879711287?aff=oddtdtcreator

Presentation of the "Good Practice Guide for Data Journalists"

The Valencian Observatory of Open Data and Transparency of the Universitat Politècnica de València has created a guide for journalists and data professionals with practical advice on how to turn data into attractive and relevant journalistic stories for society. The author of this reference material will talk to a data journalist about the challenges and opportunities that data offers in journalism.

• What is it about? It is an event that will address key concepts of the Good Practice Guide for Data Journalists through practical examples and cases to analyse and visualise data correctly. Ethics will also be a theme of the presentation.
• When and where? Friday 8th March from 12h to 13h in the Assembly Hall of the Faculty of ADE of the UPV (Avda. Tarongers s/n) in Valencia.
• How do I register? More information and registration here: https://www.eventbrite.es/e/entradas-presentacion-de-la-guia-de-buenas-practicas-para-periodistas-de-datos-835947741197

Geodata Conference of the Madrid City Council Geoportal

Madrid hosts the sixth edition of this event which brings together heads of institutions and benchmark companies in cartography, geographic information systems, digital twin, BIM, Big Data and artificial intelligence. The event will also be used as an opportunity to award the prizes of the Geodata Stand.

• What is it about? Followingin the footsteps of previous years, the Madrid Geodata Conference will present case studies and new developments in cartography, digital twinning, reuse of georeferenced data, as well as the best papers presented at the Geodata Stand.
• When and where? The event starts on 12 March at 9am in the Auditorio de La Nave in Madrid and will last until 2pm. The following day, 13 March, the session will be virtual and will present the projects and new developments in geo-information production and distribution via the Madrid Geoportal.
• How do I register? Through the event portal. Places are limited https://geojornadas.madrid.es/

3rd URJC Free Culture Conference

The Free Culture Conference of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos is a meeting point, learning and exchange of experiences about free culture in the university. Topics such as open publishing of teaching and research materials, open science, open data, and free software will be addressed.

• What is it about? The two-day event will feature presentations by experts, workshops on specific topics and an opportunity for the university community to present papers. In addition, there will be an exhibition space where tools and news related to culture and free software will be shared, as well as a poster exhibition area
• When and where? 20 and 21 March at the Fuenlabrada Campus of the URJC
• How do I register? Registration is free of charge via this link: https://eventos.urjc.es/109643/tickets/iii-jornadas-de-cultura-libre-de-la-urjc.html

These are some of the upcoming events. In any case, don't forget to follow us on social media so you don't miss any news about innovation and open data. We are on Twitter y LinkedIn you can also write to us at dinamizacion@datos.gob.es if you would like us to add another event to the list or if you need extra information.

This mobile application developed by the City Council of Ourense allows you to consult updated information about the city: news, notices or upcoming events on different topics such as: 

• Arts and festivities: Cultural events organized by the city council.
• Tourism: Information about thermal facilities, tourist attractions, heritage, routes and gastronomy.
• Notifications: Real time notifications about possible traffic cuts, opening of monuments or other specific issues.  
• Information: Data of general interest such as emergency telephone numbers or citizen services of the city council. 

The mOUbil app, developed through local open data sets, unifies all the information of interest to the neighbors of Ourense, as well as tourists who want to know the city. In addition, anyone can make suggestions for improvement on the application through this form: Queries and Suggestions (ourense.gal).  

Your download is available for both Android mOUbil - Ourense no peto! - Apps in Google Play and iOS: moubil - Ourense no peto! in App Store (apple.com)

The application shows all public wireless networks in the city of Valencia and allows its geolocation. It offers a map to identify the location of the network and a free text field to insert any comment. It also has a detailed screen with which the user can rate from 1 to 5 the quality of the installation and the signal.  

All this is stored on the device so that nothing is lost when closing the application. 

The application is available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese.

It is now almost five years since the publication of the study on the first decade of open data by the Open Data for Development (OD4D) network and more than 60 expert authors from around the world. This first edition of the study highlighted the importance of open data in socio-economic development and global problem solving. It also highlighted progress in making data more accessible and reusable , and at the same time began to elaborate on the need to take into account other key issues such as data justice, the need for responsible AI and privacy challenges.

Over the last year and a half, the new Data for Development (D4D) network has been organising a series of discussions to analyse the evolution of the open data movement in recent years and to publish an update of the previous study. Preliminary general conclusions from these discussions include:

• The need to make impact stories more visible as a way to encourage greater openness and availability of data.
• The desirability of opening up data in a way that meets the needs of potential users and beneficiaries, and that is done in a collaborative way with the community.
• Advocate for donor organisations to add as part of their grant programmes a requirement for grantees to develop and implement open data plans.
• Prioritise the need for interoperable data sharing.
• Publish more data focused on improving the situation of historically marginalised groups.
• Increase efforts to further develop the technical capacities required for the implementation of open data.
• Delve into the creation, evolution and implementation of the legal and policy frameworks necessary to support all of the above.

At the same time, there was a process of updating the study underway, analysing the progress made over the last few years in each of the sectors and communities covered by the original study. As a result of this process, we can already see some previews of the most important developments over the last few years, as well as the remaining challenges in various areas, which we review below. The 2nd Edition of the State of Open Data in a brand new online format with 30 new chapter updates and a renewed vision to guide open data agendas in the years to come.

Sectoral developments

Some of the most relevant developments in different key sectors over the last five years include the following:

Accountability and anti-corruption: There has been a rapid increase in the use of data in this area, although its impact is not well documented and the use of open data in this area should focus more on the problems identified and work more collaboratively with all stakeholders.

Agriculture: The agri-food sector has focused on facilitating the secure and efficient sharing of data by applying the principles of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) data model , mainly due to reluctance to share some of the more personal data.

Shipping: This is a sector where public authorities clearly recognise the importance of open data in building transport ecosystems that contribute to addressing global issues such as sustainable development and climate change. The main challenges identified in this case are interoperability and data privacyprotection.

Health: The practice of collecting, sharing and using health-related data has accelerated considerably due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic . At the same time, the containment measures carried out during this period in terms of contact tracing and quarantines have contributed to increased recognition of the importance of digital rights for health data.

National statistics: Open data has established itself as an integral part of national statistics, but there is a significant risk of regression. International organisations are no longer so much focused on disseminating data as on encouraging its use to generate value and impact. Therefore, it is now necessary to focus on the sustainability of initiatives in order to ensure equitable access and enhance the social good.

Action on climate change: In recent years, the quality and availability of climate data has improved in some very specific sectors, such as energy. However, there are still large gaps in other areas, for example in cities or the private sector. On the other hand, the available climate datasets present other challenges such as being often too technical, poorly formatted or not addressing specific use cases and problems.

Urban development: Open data is playing an increasingly important role in the context of urban development globally through its promotion of equity, its contribution to climate change mitigation and the improvement of crisis response systems. In addition, the continuous development and growth of urban technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), digitalsandboxes  or digital twins is creating the need to improve data quality and interoperability - which at the same time pushes the development of open data. The task ahead in this sector is to achieve greater citizen participation.

Cross-cutting developments

In addition to sectoral developments, we must also take into account those cross-cutting trends that have the potential to affect all sectors, which are described below:

Artificial Intelligence: AI applications have an increasing influence on what data is published and how it is structured. Governments and others are striving to complete the open data available for AI training that is necessary to avoid the biases that currently exist . To make this possible, new mechanisms are also being developed to enable access to sensitive data that cannot be published directly under open licences.

Data literacy: Low data literacy remains one of the main factors delaying the exploitation of open data, although there have also been some important developments at the level of industry, civil society, government and educational institutions - particularly in the context of the urgent need to counter the growing amount of misinformation being misused.

Gender equality: In recent years the Covid-19 pandemic and other global political events have compounded the challenges for women and other marginalised groups. Progress in the publication and use of open data on gender has been generally slow and more resources would need to be made available to improve this situation.

Privacy: The growing demand for personal data and the increasing use of multiple data sources in combination has increased privacy risks.  Group privacy is also an emerging concern and some debate has also formed about the necessary balance between transparency and privacy protection in some cases. In addition, there is also a demand for better data governance and oversight mechanisms for adequate data protection.

What's New Geographically

Finally, we will review some of the trends observed at the regional level:

South and East Asia: There has been little change in the region's open data landscape with several countries experiencing a decline in their open data practices after facing changes in their governments. At a general level, improvements can be seen in a more conducive bureaucratic environment and in data-related skills. However, all this is not yet translating into real impact due to lack of re-use.

Sub-Saharan Africa: The open data movement has expanded considerably in the region in recent years, involving new actors from the private sector and civil society. This dynamisation has been made possible mainly by following an approach based on addressing the challenges stemming from the Sustainable Development Goals. However, there are still significant gaps in the capacity to collect data and to ensure its ethical treatment.

Latin America: As in other parts of the world, open data agendas are not advancing at the same pace as a few years ago. Some progress can be seen in some types of data such as public finance, but also large gaps in other areas such as business information or data on climate action. In addition, there is still a lot of basic work to be done in terms of data openness and availability.

North America and Oceania: There is a shift towards institutionalising data policies and the structures needed to integrate open data into the culture of public governance more broadly. The use of open data during Covid-19 to facilitate transparency, communication, research and policy-making served to demonstrate its multi-purpose nature in this area.

These are just a few previews of what we will see in the next edition of the study on the evolution of the open data movement. In the 2nd Edition of the State of Open Data we can know in detail all the progress of the last five years, the new challenges and the challenges that remain. As we enter a new phase in the evolution of open data, it will also be interesting to see how these lessons and recommendations are put into practice, and at the same time also to begin to imagine how open data will be positioned on the global agenda in the coming years.

Content prepared by Carlos Iglesias, Open data Researcher and consultant, World Wide Web Foundation.

The contents and views reflected in this publication are the sole responsibility of the author.