Data tells the stories of individuals and communities. It has the power to inform how products can solve problems—big and small—and delight people in their everyday lives. It also drives billions of dollars in earning potential for the tech industry. With this power comes a significant responsibility: ethical stewardship. Responsible data in product equity is a must.
The Challenge: Rethinking Data Practices to Advance Equity
Too often, default approaches to demographic data collection fall short—whether by reinforcing biases, segmenting in ways that don’t provide meaningful insights, or relying on methods that render the data unreliable for statistical analysis. If practitioners do not take informed actions to prevent harm, data can perpetuate the very inequities we seek to mitigate. How can product teams harness data to drive more equitable outcomes, rather than deepen existing disparities?
The Solution: Collaborative Guidelines for Responsible Data in Product Equity
To address this challenge, Aspen Digital, a policy program of the Aspen Institute, has convened the Product Equity Working Group, a coalition of leading industry technologists, civil society leaders, top academics, and leaders from systemically marginalized communities, to rethink responsible data practices for product equity.
After two years of collaboration, we’re excited to introduce the Primer on Responsible Data Practices in Product Equity—a guide designed to help teams navigate the complexities of ethical data collection and use in product development.
