Exploring big 'crisis' data in action: potential positive and negative externalities

As growing emphasis is placed on engaging with big ‘crisis’ data, including data from social media, GPS, and satellite, adequate policies and measures must be in place in order to use this data in an ethically and legally responsible manner. The current working paper introduces the BYTE study, which is working towards identifying and understanding the various positive and negative externalities, or impacts, associated with the use of big ‘crisis’ data. This insight paper provides a preliminary discussion of various externalities that may be encountered in this study. By doing so, the authors highlight the need for additional research in this area to promote ethically and legally responsible crisis data practices.