Vehicle of transparency, impulse to responsibility, deterrence to corruption: open data are important instruments for citizens because they may increase the possibility of detecting corruption and helping to prevent it. Open data are as matter of fact, available to all: civic society which is often aware of just part of its potentialities can activate itself to monitor public Institutions and register irregularities.

Open data are also an important source for journalists: the proof is the importance of this theme at the Perugia International Journalism Festival. To confirm the growing interest, open data was the subject of numerous encounters during the event. There is ever increasing demand from journalists, researchers or just simple citizens to have access to clear, transparent and accessible information.

RiSSC (Research Center on Security and Crime) and Transparency International Italy in collaboration with other European partners of the project TACOD, were protagonists of a workshop dedicated to the impact of open data on the prevention and fight against corruption.

The workshop highlightened the civic function of open data, emphasizing the need for making them not only available but also reusable, something that, giving the current digitalization level of Italian public Institutions, is not always possible. “Opening this data should not be seen as a cost, but instead as an investment” said Davide Del Monte, project officer of TI-Italy, who stressed the need to also invest in this field. On the contrary, it is corruption to represent a cost for the country and open data can help to lower it. “If we reach this objective – Del Monte affirms – the cost of the investment will be widely repaid”.