D7.4: Implications of profiling practices on democracy

Title: JAMES BACKHOUSE: A NEW SOCIAL CONTRACT

James Backhouse: a new social contract

In his short but highly informed reply James Backhouse starts by pointing out that our present welfare society depends to an increasing extent on the possibility to search large databases for relevant information and knowledge; the processing of personal information as sine qua non of service delivery in both the public and the private sector. After arguing the pertinence of profiling Backhouse points out the dark side in terms of infringements of the rights of citizens in an e-democracy, implications for justice and fair treatment and adverse effects for security and confidentiality. To prevent such dangers from halting the opportunities offered by profiling technologies Backhouse then pleads a social contract between the agents that have the power to profile and the subjects of the data being profiled.

It should be clear that thinking in terms of a social contract builds on one of the salient metaphors of our constitutional democracies and as such raised many questions. One of the challenges FIDIS faces it the design of such a contract by means of an integration into technologies that can enforce its stipulations and empower citizens and consumers to regain some control over the knowledge created out of their data.