DATA EQUALITY, a European project that seeks to join forces to combat data-based discrimination, was launched at an online event on 20 September. The Euro-Arab Foundation, together with the Court of Appeal of Venice (coordinator of the project), the Agenfor International Foundation, the Municipality of Murcia, Kentro Merimnas Oikogeneaias Kai Paidiou, Hellenic Police, Keshilli i Larte i Prokurorise, Associazione Nazionale Comuni Italiani Emilia Romagna and Kentro Meleton Asfaleias, will develop a common methodology that will allow different actors to cooperate in the identification and prevention of this problem.
The project targets professionals active in the collection, analysis, use and dissemination of data belonging to the two macro-sectors on which the project focuses: public authorities, in particular local law enforcement agencies and judicial bodies, and civil society organisations (CSOs).
The project will train law enforcement officials, judicial bodies as well as members of CSOs in the use of the new methodology, including its impartial OSINT component and in line with the EU General Data Protection Regulation. The students will come from the countries participating in the project: Greece, Italy, Spain and Albania.
The role of the Euro-Arab Foundation
The Euro-Arab Foundation will undertake the task of comprehensively assessing the current methodologies employed in the collection, management, analysis and dissemination of discrimination-related data. The aim is to identify the main shortcomings, omissions and existing demands, as well as best practices to be incorporated into a new methodology. It will also explore the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence and open source tools (OSINT) to detect inherent biases in data.
This will require cooperation between public and private bodies, in particular between CSOs and local and judicial authorities, as well as surveys and interviews with law enforcement and judicial professionals and civil society organisations to understand their perspectives, needs and challenges in relation to data collection, management, analysis and sharing.
