I have no idea how much or how little input No 10 had in setting the test and trace strategy, and while it is easy to raise an eyebrow at the Silicon Valley fanboy vibe of 10ds, I am pretty sure this will be the beginning of a litany of disaster algorithms in UK gov.
To focus on quantitative data and “the best available evidence” while invoking the scientific method without so much as mentioning data ethics is a statement of intent. And this is problematic.
The people who get the read outs from this work won’t know about algorithmic bias. They won’t understand that there people who are counted, who are over-counted, that are completely unseen. General data literacy seems to begin and end at “something something privacy”.
If there is such a thing as a data ethics movement in the UK, this is the time to mobilise. We can’t wait to throw our hands up in the air at every new disaster application of tech. We need to speak out and educate, outside of the scene, to civil servants and journalists and MPs.
Don’t be tentative because you think it will exclude you from a seat at the big table. Sometimes prevention is better than cure; I’m not advocating alarmism, but - if you have a platform to - educate, educate, educate. After all, 4.5 years is a long time.
