ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 shows how the big data landscape, and the information ecosystem it enables, is changing public perception of trust, transparency, and the legitimacy of intelligence agency operations. Interviewees reflect on their relationships with the public and how big data and the information ecosystem it enables has and will impact that relationship. They emphasised that trust is significant in the role of national security agencies in Australia. Furthermore, this chapter considers the impacts of big data on trust in the entire system of democratic government and public service agencies, which relies on trust in the way data is collected and used across all government agencies, not just the national security sector. It proposes that the big data landscape is changing the public’s perceptions of the intelligence community in relation to trust, transparency and legitimacy. Then unpacks how intelligence practitioners understand the key and evolving concepts of trust, legitimacy and the social contract within this context. This chapter shows that intelligence practitioners perceive the manner in which trust is built and developed as being impacted by big data, suggesting that intelligence agencies need to align their big data use with agency values and purpose, transparency and public engagement.
