Private data and opaque models are reshaping economic signals
An Atlantic analysis argues that official statistics are increasingly supplemented — and sometimes supplanted — by private data and proprietary models that the public cannot fully inspect. The piece warns that reliance on these opaque sources can erode policy transparency and hamper democratic accountability.
Authors call for better public access to the inputs and methods shaping economic narratives, and for agencies to consider how private sources are used in policy decisions.

Policy makers face new information trade-offs
The article notes trade-offs between timeliness and transparency: private panels can deliver fast indicators but can also hide assumptions and revisions. Economists and former officials quoted in the piece urged government offices to integrate independent audits and clearer disclosures when private data influence official forecasts.