Data Architecture principles
6. Data use is ethical
- Last reviewed
- 4 June 2026
- Owner
- Head of Architecture
We must process and store data in line with the ethical consensus around data use.
Why data use is ethical
We must retain public trust in order that DfE and the sector can be effective in its delivery of government services. We must therefore guard against collecting data that the public would feel exceeds ethical limits, or represents an overly intrusive reach into their private lives.
How data use is ethical
We must maintain a series of ethics panels to guard against overreach through a focus on efficient delivery.
We must ensure we have consent where necessary to process data, and maintain a record of that consent. This applies to both operational and analytical uses of data.
All the data attributes we collect should be necessary for discharging the delivery or governance responsibilities of DfE. Any more than this represents ethical over-reach.
Care must be taken to avoid linking datasets that may be each legitimately gathered, but when combined may give an overly intrusive insight into citizens’ private lives, unless explicit consent is received to do so.