Open Data Provides Misconduct Nowhere to
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Significant events in the past two years, from the
Kaohsiung gas explosion to the fake food scandals, have ravaged the “Made in
Taiwan” image and destroyed global goodwill toward and trust in Taiwan.
The key to these events was information
transparency and openness. In the fake oil scandals, if the import and export
sources had been publicized, the misconduct of the middle men could have been
avoided. Before the Kaohsiung gas explosion, an odor was present in Kaohsiung
that the city government could not identify. After the explosion, numerous
requests for the government to release information about the pipeline were
dispatched from all sectors, following a pattern established by previous
similar incidents around the world. However, the government refused these requests,
stating that this information could endanger national security and cause property
prices to fall. Crime maps, which enable the public to interact with open data
regarding locations, dates, and types of crimes committed, have recently become
popular in the North America and Europe. Domestic police departments may be
proud that they possess this information, but they also withhold the
information because publishing it could influence housing prices.
In recent years, numerous countries have begun to
promote open data, anticipating that open access to government data can
achieve the transparency of democratic governance and promote citizen
participation and cooperation. The knowledge economy, coupled with
statistical analyses of large amounts of data, have stimulated personal,
industry, and government motives for reusing data, particularly to conduct
innovative research and development or related services. This has created
potential business opportunities for transforming data into knowledge
services.
The “soy paste vat ” culture is often deeply ingrained in Chinese societies. This nontransparency
provides those in power with the substantial advantage of being able to
maintain control of the information flow. The United States, France, and the
United Kingdom have also faced rule by bureaucracy; consequently, these
countries used disruptive innovations to obtain the tangible benefits of open
data. The policies and administrations of these countries actively increased
the amount of disclosed data.
Contrastively, Taiwan relies primarily on the Freedom of
Government Information Law; although this law protects the public’s right to be informed, it
cannot be applied to information reuse by a public sector that emphasizes the
value of information. This creates a large gap compared with other countries.
Without a timeline to schedule the release of information on key topics such
as health care, law enforcement, and public safety, Taiwan continues to face obstacles
such as legal battles, governmental inaction, and unambitious officials.
The amount of data disclosed to the Taiwanese public
has increased rapidly in the past year, and has become the subject of
national attention. However, global progress is rapid, and Taiwan still
requires substantial improvement. High-level government officials should observe
other world leaders to determine the methods these leaders have used to create
policies to achieve open data. The public is tired of begging the government
for information. The government should, as quickly as possible, conduct an open
inventory of all the data that they possess, and compare these data to those already
disclosed by other countries. The government should then create a timetable
for releasing this data, and enter negotiations with the public regarding the
reasons for not disclosing data or for classifying data as confidential.
The vitality of civilian information scientists can
enable Taiwan to become the Asian country that most fully and diversely uses
open data. Disclosing data is a manifestation of soft strength, enabling the
country’s youth to alter the government and accelerate reforms through the
use of data. Furthermore, disclosing data can create job opportunities and
economic output. If the government does not actively disclose data, Taiwanese
youth cannot be trained in handling this wave of international data, which would
become a key factor in Taiwan’s lack of global competitiveness.
2014/10/15 United Daily News
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