Ethical data sharing involving industry: Government-industry collaboration

Collaborations that involve the sharing of medical and biométrie data between government and industry partners present particular ethical challenges. In this paper, ethical implications of data sharing and recommendations for data management in these collaborations are identified. Recommendations for adhering to privacy laws and examples of government-industry collaborations using medical or biométrie data are also discussed. Conflicts of interest, ownership, and the purpose of the collaboration are identified as pertinent ethical issues. These issues and recommendations are intended to contribute to international debate and consensus-building among experts. This investigation contributes to the European Union's FP7 ETHICAL Project, which aims to encourage international discussion on medical and biometric data ethics.