Open data refers to information anyone can access, modify or build on by default. It is understood as either the notion that data of public value should be free from copyright, patents or other restrictions; or, data that is machine-readable, freely shared, and reusable without barriers.
Coined in 1995 in a geospatial context, open data gained momentum in the late-2000s to early-2010s with national portals and the Open Government Partnership. The UK led with data.gov.uk in 2010, releasing thousands of public data sets under the Open Government Licence. Examples also include Transport for London’s feeds which power travel apps, and Companies House’s corporate data which underpins fintechs and compliance services firms.
Two major frameworks now shape contemporary thinking on open data. The International Open Data Charter sets out principles such as openness by default, timeliness, usability, comparability, interoperability and real-world impact. The FAIR Principles emphasise that data should be findable, accessible, interoperable and reusable, ideally with minimal human intervention.
Recent UK policy initiatives like the National Data Library, Health Data Research Service, and UK Biobank, have shifted towards ‘secure access’ for public data. These aim to balance openness with safeguards, enabling research and innovation without making data totally unrestricted.
The line between secure access to data and open data is subtle, but each offers different benefits. More open data standards can reduce friction and improve interoperability, so companies, especially startups, can integrate open datasets to build products faster. More secure but accessible data standards can make sensitive citizen data harder to exploit and can offer access to otherwise unavailable data.
Further reading
Government Office for Science — National Data Library
Open Government Partnership — About Open Government Partnership
Open Data Charter — ODC Principles
GO FAIR — FAIR Principles
Simon Chignard — A brief history of Open Data
