ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the factors shaping perceptions of data collection and processing in humanitarian settings and provides a summary of initial research findings from the “Study on perceptions of humanitarian data processing”, a joint initiative of the International Committee of the Red Cross Data Protection Office and the University of Cambridge Humanitarian Action Programme. First, the authors reflect on the intersections between data protection principles and assumptions around data processing in humanitarian settings. Then, they present findings from a pilot study investigating how personal data sharing is perceived in humanitarian settings based on the experience of experts and humanitarian practitioners and seek to draw connections between perceptions and the principles of data protection in humanitarian action. The chapter concludes by highlighting the key group-level and individual-level factors influencing perceptions of data protection in humanitarian action, acknowledging the limitations of the research design and outlining recommendations for further research into this central topic.
