Open source solutions are relatively novel, and thus exposure to them is limited. However, if we are able to make this data and information more accessible, open source has the potential to serve as an extremely useful source of information to diminish inequalities and place people on a level playing field. Open data can help citizens recognize racial and socioeconomic injustices and work with the government to correct them, just as was the case in Kennedy v. City of Zanesville.
It was clear that for many years white people in Muskingum County had significantly better access to clean water than non-white people, particularly African-Americans. After 50 years of disparity in treatment, the African-American population in Zanesville, although small, was given a voice against the blatant inequality. [i] In 2008, the law firm Relman, Dane & Colfax took up the case and began investigating. These qualified individuals were familiar with open information and knew how to access and use the information in order to assist them in their case. During the course of the case, President Obama’s “Transparency and Open Government” initiative came to fruition, encouraging more readily available access to government data that was previously held private. [ii] Thus, open data allowed Relman, Dane & Colfax to reveal the injustice and clear inequality between people of different races in Zanesville. As one of the lawyers on the case states, “The easier it is to access data, and the more people that can access data without having to pay for it, the more egalitarian society we will have.” This legal team effectively used the data as leverage to benefit the community. This demonstrates how open data can encourage governments to create better conditions for its citizens.
While open data can be extremely useful in helping resolve inequality crises, the main reason it has not helped more people is the lack of education surrounding the topic. Many people do not know how to access the data, and thus cannot demand it from the gatekeepers of this data, whether it be the government or corporations. Linda Villarosa discusses in a New York Times article the prevalence of HIV in the South now. There is a large discrepancy in HIV cases between cities in the South and New York City, a place where HIV first broke out in the US. Villarosa explains, “The South also has the highest numbers of people living with H.I.V. who don’t know they have been infected, which means they are not engaged in lifesaving treatment and care — and are at risk of infecting others.” [iii] While some of these issues stem from systemic failures, it is important that people around the country have equal access to information and other resources to help them combat life threatening illnesses. Many of the same healthcare services are available to people in the South as the North. However, it is clear that people in these Southern cities do not have access to the same information regarding the various treatments for HIV. Similar to treating city-wide HIV, if the population has a greater knowledge of the open data services available, we could create the social expectation that we should have greater access. People should not have to demand information from the government, rather it should be their right to use information that can benefit society.
It is clear that improved access to open data has the ability to greatly benefit society in a number of ways. By giving people better access to data, citizens gain the right to make more accurate, informed decisions. Furthermore, this creates an environment where governments and corporations can foster a sense of trust with people. The transparency associated with open data creates more accountability within society and helps eliminate inequalities.
I. Rogawski, C., Verhust, S., & Young, S. (2016). Ohio, USA: Kennedy v. City of Zanesville. Open Data Impact. Retrieved from https://odimpact.org/files/case-studies-us-kennedy.pdf
II. Transparency and Open Government. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/transparency-and-open-government
III. Villarosa, L. (2017, June 6). America’s Hidden H.I.V. Epidemic. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/06/magazine/americas-hidden-hiv-epidemic.html
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