Over the years, pervasive data —data about people gathered through online services— has become essential for conducting research in the public interest. In December 2024, the United States National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) acknowledged the importance of pervasive data for research and the corresponding privacy and ethical challenges. NTIA issued a Request For Comment (RFC) regarding Ethical Guidelines for Research Using Pervasive Data. In the Winter and Spring of 2025, the Institute for Data Democracy and Politics (IDDP) at The George Washington University convened the IDDP Council for Pervasive Data Ethics - Next Steps for the U.S to consider the tensions that commenters expressed in the RFC submissions and chart a set of actions for civil society, researchers and funders to advance through collaboration, pilots, assessment and research that address prominent tensions and continue to advance ethical practices in computing research.
We hope that leaders throughout civil society, philanthropy and academia working on issues related to privacy, data ethics, and the impact of online services on society find this report helpful in understanding the debate surrounding new national guidelines for ethical research using pervasive data. Additionally, we hope that the community continues to advance the list of actions with resource investment (time, money, collaboration), understanding that each action is important for addressing the tensions raised in the Ethical Guidelines RFC.