About the Research

Do you trust your records online? Individuals and organizations are increasingly making, storing and accessing records in the highly networked, easily hacked environment of the Internet. But, where are these records, how well are they being managed, how long will they be available?

Many organizations are becoming concerned about a liability they may not have thought they were assuming. Others are amassing huge volumes of data that they use to provide a host of services, many of which focus on marketing and securing competitive advantage. In this world of 'big data', seemingly innocuous records can be exploited to produce data that can be manipulated and reused to serve many purposes, not always noble. However, big data also fosters a range of democratic objectives, from promoting government transparency to supporting research to contributing to public-private sector goals and priorities. The issues presented by this scenario are clear: Can the data be trusted? How and where are they stored? Who has control and jurisdiction? Who has access? How secure are they? Will your privacy be protected?

InterPARES Trust aims to produce frameworks that will support the development of integrated and consistent local, national and international networks of policies, procedures, regulations, standards and legislation concerning digital records entrusted to the Internet, to ensure public trust grounded on evidence of good governance, and a persistent digital memory.

Expected Outcomes

  • Develop functional requirements and specifications for secure online digital systems; and analytic frameworks to evaluate innovative business models emerging from the evolving Internet environment.
  • Achieve a balance between privacy and access, secrecy and transparency, the right to know and the right to oblivion in globally connected networks.
  • Write legislative recommendations related to e-evidence, cybercrime, identity, security, e-commerce, intellectual property, e-discovery and privacy.
  • Research proper authentication of identity on the Internet and protection against Internet fraud.
  • Support all facets of intellectual property: patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, digital rights management, file sharing, licensing, public domain and international conventions.
  • Provide a sound basis for articulating policy models, and procedures and standards to manage them.
  • Develop education modules and training tools for professionals; and academic curricula for graduate programs.