Keywords: politics, power, control, ethics, critical data studies, data science
We are increasingly aware of the societal ramifications of poorly-executed data science, from privacy breaches to algorithmic injustices. In this context, much is made of "data ethics" - a merging of ethical theory and data science to produce best practices for the generation, analysis and use of data.
But what do these best practices actually mean, and are they enough? In this talk we explore the deeper, structural issues surrounding data science, questioning whether "data ethics" can ever be sufficient to make data practices just, and arguing for a deeper engagement with the politics of the field and world.