Insurance and Pension Denmark (I&P Denmark) has developed three new data ethics tools, each focusing on different areas of ethics guidelines and putting them into operation.

The first tool aims to provide inspiration when creating an overall data ethics policy, if there isn’t one in place already, while the second part is a model that suggests how to develop data ethics principles that can be included in a policy.

The third part provides a model that can be used to ensure that data ethics principles are followed in concrete data-driven solutions.

Launching the tools, I&P said that "trust is a prerequisite for data-driven work", arguing that it was therefore important that it was able to create understanding and trust in its use of data.

The new tools therefore aim to help provide an overall data ethics framework which defines what is ok, and what is not ok, to help form a solid starting point for employees to find and deal with real data ethical dilemmas in everyday life.

I&P Denmark deputy director, Sigrid Floor Toft said that he “hopes” that the new data ethics tools can help answer what the question of what “right thing to do is”.

He continued: "When there is no definitive answer, you need the proverbial line in the sand to make a decision.

"In relation to data use, that line can be drawn from a data ethics policy and associated data ethics principles that define what you as a company will and will not do with data.

"We started the work with a desire to define a set of concrete data ethics dilemmas that would serve as a starting point for the industry's work with data ethics.

"It sounds simple, but the hard part is operationalizing data ethics so that you can comply with it broadly in your company - and do it in a way that creates value for both the company and the customers. This is exactly the process we want to support with our tools.”

I&P noted that the insurance industry was the first in Demark to develop data ethics principles and express what data ethics meant in practice at an industry level, using a 'cool or creepy' industry standard, which is also used as the basis for the new tools.

"Even though the tools are industry-specific, they are still so general that they can be used across industries," Floor Toft added.

"Therefore, it is also our hope that they can help a wider audience in their work with data ethics."

---