Open Data Still Comes With Responsibilities to Its Source

Easy access to data does not automatically answer every question about how it may be used. Source identity, update method, provenance, and applicable terms still matter. Technically downloadable and permitted for a particular use are different questions.

If a dashboard transforms external data, that transformation should be visible too. A reader should be able to distinguish the source value from a value calculated locally. That distinction also creates a clearer path for investigating mistakes.

Terms can change over time, so a specific use should be checked against the current conditions rather than relying forever on an old assumption. The name of a data provider should not be presented as an endorsement of a separate product unless that endorsement actually exists.

For me, the value of open data is that it lets more people ask questions. Preserving attribution and limits alongside new work makes those questions—and the systems built from them—more trustworthy.

Source: official reference.