Is a breakdown in trust, transparency and social cohesion a price worth paying for more extensive data linkage?

The aggregation and linkage of data collected by different public services can often be presented unproblematically as a solution to various social issues, notably so in the last year in response to the public health crisis of COVID-19. Drawing on new survey evidence, Rosalind Edwards, Val Gillies and Sarah Gorin¸ suggest greater care should be given to the social implications of extensive data linkage and the way it is differentially perceived and experienced across social groups.