The following articles are from the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation's May 2025 newsletter. The newsletter comes out quarterly, full of news, commentary, opinion, and education. Sign up by emailing dataethics@stats.govt.nz
Communities’ data concerns in the spotlight for CDEI
Drawing on conversations we started at GOVIS 2024, we continue to be out and about talking about the lived experiences of communities, and how they are not always well-served by data systems. We will be doing this again on Friday 16 May during Privacy Week – and a session titled: Where is the line of creepy? More information can be found on the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s website. We hope to see you there!
The session will focus on how your data is collected in many places and by many different agencies and asks - are you happy with them doing things with your data and when is it that things can start to feel a bit creepy?
The Privacy Act describes what we can do, legally with personal information. But just because we can do something – should we do it?
With the lived wisdom of people from different communities, the session will explore the human side of personal data collection and use. How do our worldviews shape how we see our data? What harm can occur from legal data use with good intentions? Where do our individual lines of creepy lie? And what can we do when faced with the question: “should we”?
It takes a village, by Emma Naji, Principal Advisor at CDEI
Between 7 – 8 May, we had the privilege to be part of the 7th NZ Gov Data Summit in Wellington’s Te Papa. While I have been a few times in previous years, I noted a real shift this year!
Yes, we’re all still talking about data, AI and all those big topics, but what was in abundance this year were messages about the need for trust, humanity, collaboration, and balance. If we are to go far, we must go together.
Repeatedly, throughout the conference we heard the need to focus on outcomes. Focusing on outcomes enables us to adapt, concentrate on the important things and ensure we’re delivering value for the people we serve.
We heard some amazing stories from multiple organisations and agencies about changing our attitudes and approaches to data. One such story came from Trust Tairāwhiti and their work which communities led, with a focus on building capability with the people they work with.
We also heard lots about the need to break down silos in and between public service agencies, how leadership needs to get actively involved, and how data maturity is critical to unlock potential of data driven tech like AI.
We also had Phil Turner, Chief Executive Officer from NZ Disability Employers’ Network teach the room how to sign ‘Happy Sign-language Week’ as part of the “Innovative data collection methods to accurately reflect community priorities” panel. It was a great conference. Let us know if you’d like more insights from it!
Disabled people are an essential part of the vibrant mosaic that is Aotearoa New Zealand. New findings from the 2023 Household Disability Survey remind us that 17% of people in households identify as disabled—each holding unique experiences that enrich our communities. This data is a taonga, guiding better policy, understanding, and services rooted in lived reality.
Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People is honouring these voices by refreshing the New Zealand Disability Strategy, with 26 diverse leaders shaping future action across health, housing, education, justice, and employment. It’s a bold step towards equity, unity, and mana-enhancing change.
On the ground, community organisations like My Life, My Voice empower disabled people every day. Their AI training workshops and peer support network equip participants with practical tools for independence—whether it’s planning meals, exploring smart technology, or navigating life with confidence. Their Tasters Group meets in Palmerston North every second Tuesday of the month to share stories, spark creativity, strengthen social bonds… and enjoy a sweet snack.
Together, this collective mahi shows what’s possible when we treat data as treasure, elevate community voice, and design a future built on aroha, innovation, and inclusion.
Learn more about the 2023 Household Disability Survey
Discover more about My Life, My Voice
And if you wish to join the Tasters Group in Palmerston North, please call/text Natt at 022 065 0912 or email natalie.mclean@mylifemyvoice.org.nz.
Learn more about the Ministry of Disabled People and the New Zealand Disability Strategy
By Bev Tso Hong, Kaitūhono, Ethnic Research Engagement Lead, Community Research
At Community Research, we view data as taonga — a treasure that reflects the rich mosaic of cultures and experiences in our communities. Quantitative data is not just numbers or statistics; each point is a shorthand for the long-form stories, lived experiences, and diverse ways of knowing that shape our collective reality.
Kāitiakitanga—guardianship—reminds us of our responsibility to respect where data comes from, honour the people and stories behind it, and ensure communities can control how their information is used. In Aotearoa, Māori Data Sovereignty and te Tiriti o Waitangi affirm that Māori have the right to own, access, and benefit from their own data. We see this in action with groups like Te Mana Raraunga and iwi-led research, where communities lead the way in collecting and using their own data so that research aligns with their worldview and aspirations. Increasingly, we see similar principles in action with other communities, too.
Community-led/engaged research is at the heart of what we do. When community members operate as co-researchers or data stewards, data becomes more alive and meaningful, grounded in the hopes, strengths, and challenges of real people. We can involve local voices at every stage—from shaping research questions to determining how data is used, analysed, and shared.
Great examples are in our research collections. For example, Hear from us, not about us features research led by and for people from ethnic, former refugee, and migrant backgrounds where their voices are at the centre. This approach ensures findings are relevant and helps shift power back to communities who have often been left out of research about their own lives.
While mixed methods research seeks to bridge numbers and stories, there’s still bias towards quantitative data as evidence and that numbers matter most. We think it’s time to move past that. An alternative framing is as “intertwined methods” using flexible, context and purpose driven approaches that reject rigid hierarchies. At times, quantitative data may play a secondary role to community knowledge and narrative, and at other times, the reverse may be true.
By treating data as taonga and practicing kaitiakitanga, we make sure our research is trustworthy, relevant, and reflects the knowledge of our communities. Data then becomes a living mosaic—a powerful tool for understanding, bringing people together, and making positive change, shaped by and for the people it represents.
Data is a living taonga that reflects and derives from our history present realities and future aspirations (Moana Research, 2021).
by Dr. Jacinta Fa’alili-Fidow from Moana Connect
For Pacific peoples data as a construct is broad, nuanced and extends beyond numerical meaning. The value of numbers is determined by Pacific values and our connections with past and present:
Pacific data sovereignty therefore, represents more than just protection and participation in data processes. It seeks to address historical deficits in data portrayal by centering Pacific voices and perspectives, enabling transformative decision-making, policy development, and systems change. In the words of Dr ‘Ana Taufeulungaki during the inaugural Pacific data sovereignty seminar in 2019, “Data Sovereignty is not just about ownership of the collection, storage, retrieval, accessibility, application and dissemination of individual groups and cultural information. It is about taking charge of our own destiny”. Here Dr Taufeulungaki refers to the overarching purpose of Pacific data sovereignty, which is to ensure that all Pacific peoples are seen and heard, and ultimately thrive in today and tomorrow’s society.
With Artificial Intelligence, that tomorrow is here. In 2024, the Pacific data sovereignty committee brought together Pacific digital leaders and champions to share knowledge, opportunities and concerns about the impact of AI on Pacific peoples and communities. The opening speakers Young New Zealander of the Year Nu’uali’i Eteroa Lafaele and Dr Karaitiana Taiuru emphasised the importance of involving Pacific data experts early in development and investing in AI upskilling and training is essential to ensure Pacific communities are not left behind in the fast-moving tech landscape. AI business leaders Peter Lucas-Jones of Te Hiku Media and Luke Fitzgerald of Frankly AI demonstrated that AI holds immense potential to empower communities, especially in areas like health, and that Māori and Pacific communities should seize the economic opportunities AI offers, investing in skills and tech training to create high-value jobs. Amy Dove of Deloitte spoke about busting myths around AI, but to also understand its truths and the risks it carries, such as bias in data. These key themes are among just some of the many areas of interest for Pacific data and data sovereignty proponents that will inform advocacy and action in the coming years.
Balancing risks and opportunities is challenging in a fast-moving open data environment but to achieve this, the PDS committee and network will continue to prioritise collective action to leverage our limited resources. Among our many goals are promoting accountability and ethics within key administrations and research institutions, protecting cultural knowledge and seeking investment and capability building opportunities, particularly for our youth and communities. We look forward to sharing our ongoing efforts in partnership with willing allies and our tuakana in the Māori data sovereignty space, through open-source values of ‘alofa/love’ and ‘respect/fa’aaloalo’. This call to action combines both Artificial Intelligence and Ancestral Intelligence to ensure we are all well equipped to counter both threats and opportunities across digital advances.
“What does the word data evoke in your culture — what ideas, values, or traditions come to mind?”
What gives data its value isn't just its technical accuracy or its strategic use; it's the meaning, memory, and mana we imbue it with. For many, data carries ancestral knowledge, community stories, and the voices of those who came before us. It is both deeply personal and powerfully collective. In this special feature, we asked members of our CDEI community — many of whom now call Aotearoa home — to reflect on what data means in their own cultural contexts. Each perspective adds a unique tile to our shared mosaic. These reflections remind us that data is not just a tool — it is a bridge. A bridge between people, cultures, and nations. A bridge between past, present, and future. And as our CDEI digital community continues to grow, so too does the richness of the worldviews we hold space for — honouring difference, celebrating unity, and working toward a more ethical and inclusive future.
From a Catalan perspective, the word dades (data) brings to mind the importance of knowledge, memory, and working together for the good of all. Data plays a key role in Open Government (Govern Obert), helping people take part in decisions and support democratic participation and social justice. In Barcelona, data is used to build smart cities that are more sustainable and fairer for everyone. For us, data is like a mosaic — made of many voices and stories — that helps bring people together in diversity, unity, and hope.
In the Celtic tradition of Scottish and Irish culture, the word data can evoke the deep-rooted tradition of storytelling and oral history, as well as the modern term usually associated with digital or written data. This concept of the passing down of knowledge through generations brings to mind the value we place on memory, heritage, and connection to the land. Just as ancient bards and seanchaí preserved wisdom in tales and songs, today we see data as a modern way of capturing our collective story, a thread linking past, present, and future. The term in Scottish Gaelic, the language of my grandmother, is Dùthchas. This is a rich and layered term, roughly cognate with the Te Reo term Tūrangawaewae. It traditionally refers to a deep ancestral connection to the land, a sense of inherited belonging, kinship, and duty to place. It’s more than just being from somewhere; it implies that the place is part of your identity, and you, in turn, have a responsibility to it. It’s a powerful concept in Gaelic culture, tied to community, heritage, and the natural world. So, data in my cultural context, is connected to a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all life and the world around us, rather than just being stored within siloed storage systems, where context is often poorly captured, and metaphysical meaning captured as metadata is usually a secondary consideration.
Stephen Clarke is a Data and Ethical AI Consultant with a long-standing commitment to responsible information management and public value. He is a member of the ISO Working Groups on Records Management and Artificial Intelligence, contributing to global standards that guide ethical and effective data practices. Stephen previously served as Chief Archivist – Kaipupuri Matua at Archives New Zealand, where he championed the stewardship of public records. A strong supporter of the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI), Stephen has played a key role in shaping its digital community.
As someone shaped by the cultural richness of one of the world's most diverse countries, I see data as more than just information. With a profound depth of linguistic, spiritual, and cultural expression, this diversity reminds us that there is no single story and that every voice holds value. Knowledge is often passed down through intergenerational transmission - not only through books or records, but also through stories, rituals, languages, and everyday traditions. It is a form of wisdom that shapes how we live, who we are, and how we relate to one another.
Data holds emotional, spiritual, and collective meaning that resonates across communities. It connects us to our roots, carries the voices of those who came before us, and reminds us that knowledge is sacred. It should be treated with integrity, guided by ethics, and used with care and purpose - to uplift, include, and build trust across cultures and generations. When used with inclusion, transparency, and accountability, data honours communities and nurtures shared understanding in meaningful and respectful ways.
Data had been valued and appreciated in Japan that I knew while growing up. As a “Census” Japan uses their birth/death, residence and family registrations, which are mandatory to all Japanese citizen since 1800s and to non-Japanese since 2012. Some precursors to those registrations since 1600s included the one of religion. The government relies on accurate/timely data of the population of 124 million (non-Japanese 2.8% in 2024) to plan for how cities and the country should be built/operated. As the older the population became the more non-Japanese resided Japan needed to include more data to plan better. Then, Japan introduced their digital ID, “My Number Card”, in 2016 to collect more datasets, and evaluate/analyse them for more effective planning. In my opinion, the digitisation also intended to encourage the elderly to switch from their old flip phones, from which couldn’t access to their own ID Card, to new smart phones so that the consumer spending could increase to support the economic growth. As a Japanese citizen who has a permanent residency in NZ, my data belongs to and has meaning in both countries. In my hope my data and that of others will be used to improve the quality of life for all.
As a Global AI Governance Consultant with Congolese roots, the first word that comes to mind when I think of data is "absence." To my knowledge, there are no large datasets in Munukutuba – one of the official languages of the Republic of the Congo – that large language models (LLMs) can meaningfully leverage to produce texts or videos in my mother tongue. As a result, it will become increasingly difficult for Congolese youth to express the ideas, values, and traditions embodied in our culture as we transition into the AI Age. This is a continent-wide problem, as most of Africa's 3000 spoken languages are considered low-resource languages with limited linguistic data available for NLP tasks. Various efforts are underway to address this challenge, but more needs to be done. I hope that some of the future graduates of the African Olympiad Academy will tackle this problem.
As a Hazara, with roots in Afghanistan and a life shaped by migration through Pakistan, the word “data” carries layered meanings. In our culture, much of our knowledge has traditionally lived through oral storytelling, communal memory, and lived experience. Elders sharing histories of migration, resilience, and identity have long been our way of preserving knowledge.
In recent years, I’ve come to see data as a form of visibility, justice, and equity. For marginalised communities like the Hazaras, data can spotlight our stories, our needs — like safety, education, and political recognition — and our rights in spaces where we’re often overlooked. Accurate data can mean better policies, greater equity, and informed decisions that protect and empower us.
But there is also caution. Our history teaches us to question: who is gathering this data, and why? Cultural values of trust, respect, and collective wellbeing must guide how data is used. In many ways, handling data ethically mirrors the respect we give to elders when they speak — we listen carefully, honour the truth, and carry it forward with purpose.
To me, data evokes knowledge — it offers a way to grasp reality, proclaim truths, contrast myths, and quantify issues. In social science, I have seen how data enables greater awareness of inequalities and shines a light on the gaps that exist between groups. In Venezuela, as in many parts of the world, data has been critical in shedding light on poverty; my first personal engagement with this was measuring infant mortality.
Over time, I have seen that data alone is not enough. When data is combined with storytelling, it resonates more deeply — reaching people on both emotional and intellectual levels. Storytelling transforms numbers into actions. A data analysts’ goal is not simply to uncover insights, but to ensure they are understood and acted upon. This is why I aim to present data in a way that inspires those working to solve real-world problems such as poverty, gender, and disability gaps.
Veronica Lazzaro Vargas is a data and statistics expert with a strong background in population, social, and community insights. She currently works as an Insights Analyst at Stats NZ, where she supports evidence-based policy through robust data interpretation and analysis. Veronica began her career at INE – Venezuela’s National Institute of Statistics, laying the foundation for her deep expertise in official statistics and public data systems. Originally from Venezuela, she holds a degree from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB) and brings a valuable global perspective to her work in New Zealand’s public sector.
The word data can be translated into Turkish in a few different ways depending on the context. In most cases, however, the word is used without translation in order to preserve its exact meaning. This doesn’t mean that a translation doesn’t exist—it does. The issue is that once we translate it, the word begins to represent something different than data as understood in English.
In English, data typically refers to quantitative information. But when translated into Turkish, the term blends with meanings related to qualitative knowledge, due to the words commonly used in its translation. In Turkish culture, quantitative information doesn’t hold the same level of importance. Culturally, Turkish people tend to prioritize sincerity and personal insight over sheer quantity when it comes to knowledge.
That said, this cultural tendency doesn’t necessarily extend to science or large corporations in Turkey. These fields are quite Westernized in this respect and rely heavily on data in the conventional, quantitative sense.
If you use the word data in a conversation without translating it, it would likely evoke Western ideas and values. People might assume you graduated from a Western institution or work in a Westernized corporate environment. The term carries a specific cultural weight - it brings along the values and assumptions associated with its Western origins. This also answers your final question: the mere utterance of the word data often calls to mind Western traditions and frameworks.
Don’t get me wrong - people in Turkey are certainly aware of what data is. It’s just that, on an individual level, they don’t value it in the same way a Western individual might. A Turkish person might care more about a friend’s opinion than about statistics. Again, this applies more to individuals than to scientific or corporate domains.
As for the government, I would say data likely carries less weight in Turkey than it does in Western governments - again, because the cultural emphasis is more on qualitative insight than on quantitative metrics.
