Understanding the Importance of Data Stewardship

For organizations that need to collect and process personal data, an erosion of consumer trust and an increasingly complex regulatory environment present new challenges. At the same time, these challenges are leading to a fundamental shift in the understanding of what constitutes responsible data collection. An individual’s personal data is no longer viewed as something that an organization can own, as was the case in the past. Rather, personal data has come to be seen as something that requires careful and responsible management while in one’s care. Put another way, managing personal data requires principled data stewardship.

Data stewardship is an umbrella term that encompasses best practices concerning the collection, use, and confidentiality of personal information. Good data stewardship requires a comprehensive approach to fairness, transparency, and relevancy in data collection practices, in addition to adherence to robust legal and security requirements.