Information Commissioner: 'Open data is no substitute for freedom of information' Users are our most important customers - everything is built on data. And it's not just about publishing data but using that data to inform decisions about what we do in government," said Maxwell. There are certain areas of government where we haven't had completely open data in the past, and certain areas where we will never make the mistake of locking in data. Maxwell added that some data cannot be released, because it is sitting within systems integrators, or paper records that cannot easily be accessed in digital format. However, the government is keen to include the requirement to produce and consume open data in its service design manual. "If we can make our food chain open then all the way through the process we can open that up as well," he said. Graham added that another challenge is to make information available as open data sets without compromising individual privacy. "If in our enthusiasm for open data we neglect privacy, we get into trouble," he said. Data privacy shouldn't be seen as a barrier - it's simply a question of how you do it. We have to find ways of making sure that we manage the risks.