Privacy and ethics

The Data Science Hub produces statistics based on new data sources and new data science methods. New data sources are collected and new methods are used to extract more information from existing data.

New methods create new challenges.
Collecting and processing new data sources demands even more attention than before for the privacy of the data subjects, an appropriate processing of personal data and the often unknown quality of these data sources.
The application of new methods, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, requires a good understanding of the properties of these methods. Accuracy and fairness are of great importance in this regard.

To ensure the correct use of these new data and methods, the Data Science Hub follows the following guiding principles when producing new statistics:

• The statistics have a clear added value for Flanders.
  The activities of the Data Science Hub aim to produce statistics that have added value for Flemish policymakers, industry, knowledge institutions and citizens.
• The legislation on the protection of personal data is strictly respected.
  The principle of data minimisation is followed. Also, the storage and processing of data always takes place in a secure environment to which access control is applied.
• The Data Science Hub communicates openly about current projects and the data used in these projects
  The webpage projects contains an overview of all ongoing and finished Data Science Hub projects. This page shows per project the intended objectives, data and methods used, and results if already available.
• The hub ensures that the created new statistics are well described and are of the highest possible quality.
  The Data Science Hub applies scientifically correct methods when producing statistics. The methods used are internally checked by at least two experts. The Data Science Hub is strongly committed to academic research on the properties of statistics it produces.