Shared Sight, the programme through which implant wearers donate anonymised vision data to research, has passed 60,000 donors and published its first independent audit.
The audit, carried out by an external firm chosen by the board’s Data and Ethics Committee, tested how Shared Sight removes donors’ identities, implant serial numbers and locations from samples, and how it blurs the faces of other people. It found that the method works as described. It also made seven recommendations, including clearer consent information for donors with low literacy, faster confirmation of deletion requests and a public register of every project that receives data. The Foundation has accepted all seven.
“Donors are trusting us with what their eyes see,” said Dr Kaji Aoi, who leads Shared Sight. “The least we can do is let someone else check how we look after it, and publish what they found.”
The audit covers Shared Sight only. Diagnostic data that implants report to their makers, including through aftercare clinics, was outside its scope.