Adaption to data-driven practices in civil society organizations: A case study of Amnesty International

ABSTRACT

Digital membership organizations assert that their innovative use of data-driven practices is at the heart of their people-powered decision-making models. These data-driven practices, and associated values, have become aspirational to other organizations. However, there are growing concerns that data practices reinforce the decision-making power of the data collector at the expense of the rights of the data subject. This research considers how traditional membership organizations adapt to these new data-driven practices, while addressing these concerns. This paper demonstrates how the political communication theory of the trustee, delegate, and responsible leadership models resolves the tension in the discourse surrounding data practices by exploring the positives and negatives of both decentralized decision-making and centralized decision-making. The framework is then explored in practice through an ethnographic case study of Amnesty International. The results show how the use of data to be people-powered is a powerful discourse, but ultimately new data practices are only used to centralize power, as is purported by critical literature.

KEYWORDS:

• Political communication
• data
• privacy
• civil society
• civil society organisations
• representation

Acknowledgments

This research was possible due to the funding from the Leverhulme Trust Magna Carta Fund. I am grateful to the staff at Amnesty who were welcoming and helpful.

Declaration of Interests

In accordance with Taylor & Francis policy and my ethical obligation as a researcher, I am reporting that I have disclosed all interests.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust.

Notes on contributors

Amber Macintyre

Amber Macintyre completed her PhD at Royal Holloway, University of London, and before that completed a Masters in International Law and the Settlement of Disputes at The University for Peace, Costa Rica. She previously worked at Amnesty International in several different teams including digital communications, campaigns and governance.