SODA Project is the Lancaster section subcontracted from EU2020 SODA – scalable oblivious data analysis project, that is researching and developing data sharing technologies using Multi-Party Computing Technics (MPC).

MPC have the potential to offer ‘real time’ use of data and ‘live’ data comparison without sharing data, instead making data available for encrypted processing. To support MPC innovation, it is critical to understand perceptions and practices of data generation, sharing and processing and to support people in understanding its potential and risks.

Data transactions, far from neutral, are subjected to gender, class, race, personal history and contextual politics. Data subjects may or may not understand when and how they are providing data, what data sharing implies or even what data is. At the same time, data subjects have ideas, feelings and imaginaries, as well as diverse interests and concerns about data. At these intersections, a range of frictions arise.

 SODA Project explores the spaces and knowledges emerging from using and designing medical data together with people living with dementia, caregivers, medical professionals and stakeholders, in the wider ecology of the social and material worlds of practicing wellbeing.

The project focuses on perceptions of what data is and practices of making (sense of) data, fears and perceived benefits of data sharing technologies, specifically multi-party computing technics (MPC).