Canadian residents are racing to save the data in Trump’s crosshairs

The unexpected call to virologist Angela Rasmussen left her shocked and troubled. The rumour that key data sets were to be removed from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website the next day was something she had never anticipated. Rasmussen, a researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, knew the importance of these data sets for public health, not just in the U.S. but around the world.

As the data started disappearing on Jan. 31, Rasmussen sprang into action. She reached out to a bioinformatician friend who knew how to preserve data and make backup copies of websites. Together with others, they worked tirelessly to save the CDC website, knowing that this information was crucial for scientific research and public health initiatives.

Their efforts didn’t stop there. Rasmussen and her team collaborated with American health-care data analyst Charles Gaba to preserve data from other government websites, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. They were also alarmed to see the publication of important studies, such as those on the H5N1 bird flu, being affected by the changing administration.

The removal of thousands of pages from government websites following President Trump’s inauguration raised concerns among researchers and activists. Pages monitoring HIV infections, health risks for youth, census data, education data, and information on assisted reproduction technologies were among those that disappeared. The comparison of the U.S.data.gov home page before and after Trump’s inauguration showed a significant decrease in data sets.

Some likened the removal of data to book burning in the 1930s, highlighting the importance of preserving this information for future generations. While the government claimed that the deletions were in line with executive orders, critics argued that these data sets, paid for with taxpayer dollars, should remain in the public domain.

In response to the data purge, a group of individuals, including Canadians like Rasmussen and her colleagues, joined an international effort to archive U.S. government data before it was lost forever. The Internet Archive played a crucial role in storing copies of websites and data sets, ensuring that this valuable information was not lost to censorship.

Brewster Kahle, founder of the Internet Archive, emphasized the importance of preserving government data for historical records and research purposes. He noted that while the U.S. government had not targeted the Internet Archive, the organization was prepared to defend its data centers in Canada if necessary.

In Canada, researchers like Eric Nost from the University of Guelph and Matt Price from the University of Toronto worked with the Environmental Data Governance Initiative to archive EPA data related to climate change and environmental justice. They emphasized the importance of this data for tracking environmental changes and protecting public health both in the U.S. and Canada.

As the fight to preserve government data continues, researchers and activists remain committed to ensuring that valuable information is not lost to political agendas. The collaboration between international organizations and individuals highlights the importance of transparency and access to information in a democratic society.