San Francisco Passes First Open Data Law

One year ago, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) issued an executive order directing the city's departments to make their data public. On Nov 8, the city's board of supervisors turned that order into law.

This could be the first time any city in the U. has implemented an open data law. But given that other jurisdictions often follow San Francisco's lead in this space, it's likely not the last.

The law is brief. It simply says city's departments and agencies "shall make reasonable efforts" to publish any data under their control -- provided that doing so does not violate other laws, particularly those related to privacy. The Board of Supervisors passed the ordinance unanimously. Open data, Mayor Newsom believes, makes city government more transparent and increases accountability. But it also makes life better for residents because tools can be made on top of the city's data that the city itself never would have made. As the ordinance says, it benefits the city via the "mobilization of San Francisco's high-tech workforce... to create useful civic tools at no cost to the City."