@GavinFreeguard
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Gavin Freeguard is a freelance consultant working on research, policy and advocacy around data, digital government and data visualization. He is an associate at the Institute for Government (where he was previously programme director), special adviser at the Open Data Institute, a member of the Public Digital network and has worked as a consultant for organisations including mySociety, the Ada Lovelace Institute and Full Fact. Before joining IfG, he was political adviser on culture, media and sport to Rt Hon Harriet Harman KC, and before that, senior editor at the Media Standards Trust and deputy director of the Orwell Prize.
Gavin is working with us to influence UK data policy by coordinating activity across civil society.
Recent posts
Hello, and welcome to our fifteenth Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments.
A short one this time, with very little going on.
Kidding!
(Late) April Fool!
Hello, and welcome to our fourteenth Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments. The Budget, national insurance cuts, tax cuts, and a possible May election are just some of the topics dominating the political fiscal discourse and doubling as an SEO-friendly introduction to this fortnight’s newsletter, a blockbuster on a par with anything at this weekend’s Oscars and with more political intrigue than Super Tuesday or a day in the life of Christian Horner at Red Bull. If that doesn’t game Google, nothing will.
Hello, and welcome to our thirteenth (lucky for you) Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments. Of which there continue to be many.
Hello, and welcome to our twelfth Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments. Rest assured, this is one DPD that won’t use AI to swear at you. (Though may have you swearing at AI.)
Hello, and welcome to our eleventh Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments.
And Happy New Year! (If it’s not too late to wish you that.) After the data and AI policy carnival of chaos that was 2023, we have a much quieter year to look forward to.
Kidding, obviously. Just the odd controversial bit of data-related legislation, a government response to the AI White Paper, more AI Summits, continued AI development at breakneck speed, the unfolding of the Post Office Horizon scandal, the small matter of a general election being called at some point and goodness knows what else to keep us busy. The Digest will be with you all the way.
Hello, and welcome to our tenth Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments. I don’t know about you, but after a long (if fun and interesting) year, I feel like I’m stumbling towards the finishing line - though with a steeplechase-sized hurdle, in the form of the Lords debating DPDIB today, now firmly in view.
This will be the last Digest of 2023 - thanks for reading this year, and I hope it’s been useful. My new year’s resolutions are to make it shorter and more frequent. If you want to give a friend the gift of data this Christmas, why not encourage them to subscribe?
Have a wonderful festive season and see you in 2024! (Unless you decide you would like to follow me live-tweeting the DPDIB debate…)
On Wednesday 29 November, the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill came back to the House of Commons for report stage and Third Reading. (You can also watch the video, or catch up on live tweeting from the Open Rights Group.) Report stage is where MPs vote on the amendments made during committee stage (back in May) – and on the 150+ pages of (mainly government) amendments that appeared a few days before the debate on the 29th. A vote on Third Reading sends the Bill to the Lords. Here’s what happened, seen through the various votes (or divisions) on the Bill.
Hello, and welcome to our ninth Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments. We have a wrap up of the AI Summit - and fully endorse this sentiment - but there’s also a lot about to happen, Bills-wise.
If there’s something we’ve missed, something you’re up to that you’d like us to include next time or you have any thoughts on how useful the Digest is or could be, please get in touch via gavin@connectedbydata.org. We’re on Twitter @ConnectedByData and @DataReform. You can also catch up on Digest #1, Digest #2, Digest #3, Digest #4, Digest #5, Digest #6, Digest #7 and Digest #8.
Hello, and welcome to our eighth Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments.
If there’s something we’ve missed, something you’re up to that you’d like us to include next time or you have any thoughts on how useful the Digest is or could be, please get in touch via gavin@connectedbydata.org. We’re on Twitter @ConnectedByData and @DataReform. You can also catch up on Digest #1, Digest #2, Digest #3, Digest #4, Digest #5, Digest #6 and Digest #7.
Hello, and welcome to our seventh Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments.
And Happy International Access to Information Day for yesterday! There is a lot of information to access in today’s edition, including a rundown of the various data and AI policy events at party conferences for those of you lucky enough to be going. I’ll be at Conservative, Green and Labour conferences if you want to say hi (assuming I recover from yesterday’s shocking news from Google).
If there’s something we’ve missed, something you’re up to that you’d like us to include next time or you have any thoughts on how useful the Digest is or could be, please get in touch via gavin@connectedbydata.org. We’re on Twitter @ConnectedByData and @DataReform. You can also catch up on Digest #1, Digest #2, Digest #3, Digest #4, Digest #5 and Digest #6, or sign up to the Digest and/or Connected by Data’s monthly newsletter via email.
Hello! Or rather, tere!
Our sixth Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments, comes to you from this year’s Open Government Summit in Tallinn, where Tim, Helena and I are flying the flag for Connected by Data. We ran a workshop yesterday; give us a shout if you happen to be here in Estonia.
If not, there’s plenty to catch up on back in the UK, as parliament returns after its summer break.
If there’s something we’ve missed, something you’re up to that you’d like us to include next time or you have any thoughts on how useful the Digest is or could be, please get in touch via gavin@connectedbydata.org. We’re on Twitter @ConnectedByData and @DataReform. You can also catch up on Digest #1, Digest #2, Digest #3, Digest #4 and Digest #5.
Hello, and welcome to our fifth Data Policy Digest, bringing you all the latest data and AI policy developments. We’ll be taking a short break while parliamentarians are enjoying their recess (we, like them, will be back in September), but there are a few updates based on things rushed out before the break.
If there’s something we’ve missed, something you’re up to that you’d like us to include next time or you have any thoughts on how useful the Digest is or could be, please get in touch via gavin@connectedbydata.org. We’re on Twitter @ConnectedByData and @DataReform. You can also catch up on Digest #1, Digest #2, Digest #3 and Digest #4.
Welcome to the fourth edition of Connected By Data’s Data Policy Digest, your one stop shop for all things data and AI policy. You’ll be pleased to know it’s shorter than our previous epic - but there’s still been plenty going on.
If there’s something we’ve missed, something you’re up to that you’d like us to include next time or you have any thoughts on how useful the Digest is or could be, please get in touch via jonathan@connectedbydata.org. We’re on We’re on Twitter @ConnectedByData and @DataReform. You can also catch up on Digest #1, Digest #2 and Digest #3.
Hello, and welcome to the third Data Policy Digest from Connected by Data! The Digest aims to bring you all the main developments in data and digital policy, including the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, the AI White Paper and beyond. (Often way beyond.) It’s been more than six weeks since the last edition (I’ve been away). Good job it’s been a quiet month or so in data policy…
If there’s something we’ve missed, something you’re up to that you’d like us to include next time or you have any thoughts on how useful the Digest is or could be, please get in touch via jonathan@connectedbydata.org. We’re on Twitter @ConnectedByData and @DataReform. You can also catch up on Digest #1 and Digest #2.
Hello, and welcome to Connected by Data’s second Data Policy Digest!
This is our attempt to keep track of the many things currently going on in data policy world. If there’s something we’ve missed, something you’re up to that you’d like us to include next time or you have any thoughts on how useful the Digest is or could be, please get in touch via jonathan@connectedbydata.org. We’re on Twitter @ConnectedByData and @DataReform, and Digest #1 is here.
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