Open Data in Lebanon: Benefits vs. Harms
Open data refers to the ‘material’/information available freely for use, reuse, and distribution in any context and for any purpose (Beyond Access: Open Government Data & the Right to (Re)use Public Information, p. 8, 2011) this sometimes involves attribution of the source. In other words, open data does not simply mean that the data is accessible but rather, for data to be considered as ‘open,’ it must abide by certain conditions: Data must be complete i.e. “not subject to valid privacy, security, or privilege limitations” (Beyond Access: Open Government Data & the Right to (Re)use Public Information, p. 9, 2011). Data must also be primary and not modified, timely (made available quickly), accessible (available to the widest range of people), machine processable (structured in a way that allows it to be read automatically through machines/computers and thus, easy to be shared), non-discriminatory (available to anyone who asks for it), non-proprietary (not owned by anyone in the sense that no one has control over it), and data should be license free or in other words it should not be subject to any copyrights or trademark (Beyond Access: Open Government Data & the Right to (Re)use Public Information, p. 9, 2011). Finally, it must ensure the Right of Access to Information as the latter is considered as a mean of freedom of expression.
Although exceptions may apply, having open data is important and might be beneficial for the development of a country on several levels.
To further discuss the above, three areas in Lebanon in which open access to government records could make a difference were studied.
One area is related to the ‘latest’ garbage crisis that has been ongoing for the past 4–5 years. On one hand, having data on the issue can result in holding politicians accountable through directing fingers on the responsible. Although blaming a politician in Lebanon will not, in most cases, result in throwing him in jail because of the power he possess but, it will affect the way people view him. Considering that we are close to elections, being aware of who is responsible for the garbage crisis will result in making him lose votes and therefore, not reach the parliament in the upcoming elections and lose power. This increases the role citizens play in the society and allow them to formulate key decisions (who will run the country for the next 4 years) in the right way. Furthermore, providing open data on the garbage crisis might result in the rise of innovative projects to solve the issue. For example, allowing the private enterprise to know what projects have been previously pitched to the government (from the outside) might result in the them collaborating with those. On one hand, this will lead to solving the issue because of a collaboration. And on the other hand, will result in increasing government revenues through the taxes they will collect from the project. Moreover, such data will allow NGOs to function and to act in the right way with a clear strategy of what shall be done. Data in this sector is also important on the health level. Opening data results in viewing how many people were affecting or might get affected health wise by the crisis. This results in making the government act faster because of the threat on the lives of people.
Another area where open data can help improve is the public transportation sector. Similar to the garbage crisis, open data in this case might result in the rise of innovative solutions for the issue. Solutions in this sector will result in decreasing pollution in the country because less cars will be on the roads, decreasing expenditures of the citizens through decreasing their oil spending, and again increasing revenues of the government through taxes they will get from the project. Allowing access to this information means also that politicians that have been stopping the development of public transportation sector will be set to light and thus, might lose power in the next elections.
A third sector in which open data is necessary for the development of the sector is electricity. Lebanon has been promised 24 hours electricity since forever. Open data about the issue will give us answers to why don’t we have electricity? What can we do to get electricity? Why is this promise not being accomplished? Who is responsible for breaking the promise? What interests does he have from breaking the promise? And why do they keep promising us if they do not make the promise real? On one hand, information that answer these questions will hold politicians accountable through shedding light on the differences between what they are promising and what they are providing or doing. It will also show where corruption lies in this process. Furthermore, if the problems were put forth on the table, innovative ideas to solve the issue might rise like in all other cases leading to an increase in the participation of people.
In all three areas discussed, open data has many benefits. Not only does it hold politicians accountable but also, it increases the participation of people in the decision-making process and gives them a clearer view of the way things function through the transparency open data forces the government to act upon. The increase in participation and the idea of transparency associated to open data means that people’s trust in the government might increase. This trust will result in giving back the government the power the politician swapped away from it. More trust in the government means less dependency on political groups. Less dependency on political groups or parties means that the latter will lose the power they have had over the people for the past decade.
Although open data might be beneficial on the level of developing the discussed sectors, making the lives of the Lebanese better, increasing participation, and increasing the revenues of the government; it is not all rainbows and colors.
Yes, projects on electricity, public transportation and the garbage crisis benefit the citizens but, the implementation of those projects might carry a few negatives. For example, if the private were to take over the electricity sector, it means that the latter will be controlled privately. Being controlled privately, some conditions may be forced on people who might not be able to abide by. The price of electricity might increase as an example and therefore, some people might not be able to afford it. In the public transportation sector, taxi drivers also known as ‘service,’ companies such as Uber, and taxi companies might run out of business because people will start depending on public transportation simply because it is more affordable. In case of the garbage crisis, opening data related to the health risks might result in an increasing threat and rise of fear among people.
In other words, not all groups in society will benefit equally from having open data in these three sectors specifically. To ensure however, that the negatives do not overdo the positives, specific steps should be followed to further make open data an empowering force. In the electricity sector, opening data about how much the electricity company pays as taxes to the government might control the price this company puts on electricity people receive. In case of the garbage crisis, opening data about the implications the government or the private sector is taking to decrease the consequences of the issue on people will decrease fear.
Considering that the negative implications of opening data can be solved or decreased by opening more related data, withholding these types of information from the public is not justified. The only thing that should be taken into consideration however before opening data is all the harm that might be caused and ways to avoid the harm i.e. what other data should be used to avoid harm.
Lebanon thus, has a long way to go and many strategies to prepare for if it were to open it’s data. But, the true question lies way beyond what are the benefits and harms of opening data in Lebanon; it lies in who is benefiting from keeping all these data hidden and who owns the data in the first place?
Reference:
Beyond Access: Open Government Data and the Right to (Re)use Public Information. (2011). By Access Info Europe and the Open Knowledge Foundation.
