# Free Information Software Transparency Toolkit is an Open-Source Tool By Tiana Reid | Published 2013-06-13 | Social Good Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/transparency-toolkit References: [echoinggreen.org](http://www.echoinggreen.org/fellows/m-c-mcgrath) & [transparencytoolkit.org](http://transparencytoolkit.org/) Founded by activist and social entrepreneur M.C. McGrath, Transparency Toolkit is an [open-source program](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dev-utils) that allows for investigation through a [collaborative process](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tiptap). Amidst the recent circulation of news of whistleblower Edward Snowden, formerly employed by the CIA, as well as documentary films such as Jeremy Scahill's Dirty Wars, the act of disclosure has become of fascination itself. What, then, is allowed to remain private? Especially when it comes to [governments and other public institutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gov-action-list), but Transparency Toolkit was also meant as a way to find out what kind of behavior corporations get away with -- of couse, all as a method to spur action and locate and accountability, however elusive it might seem. **Contact Information** Transparency Toolkit [website](http://transparencytoolkit.org/) ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.6/10 - Popularity: 20% | Activity: 20% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Social Good](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialgood) > [Social Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/socialbusiness) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Open-source Investigation:** Increased use of open-source software in investigating public and private entities creates opportunities for disruptive innovation in the software industry. - **Data Transparency:** The growing demand for transparency in industries creates opportunities for disruptive innovation by developing tools and systems that increase access to information. - **Accountability Advocacy:** Encourage more people to become active in promoting accountability in public and private entities through the use of tools like Transparency Toolkit. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Software:** Opportunities for innovation by developing more sophisticated open-source programs focused on investigation and data analysis. - **Public Sector:** Increased data transparency is an area for disruptive innovation in government and public institutions. - **Finance:** There is an opportunity for disruptive innovation by developing systems that increase transparency in financial industries, in order to promote accountability and reduce corruption. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Interactive Transparency Tracking Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/transparency-tracking-tool.md) - [Transparent AI Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kin-art.md) - [Transparent Hiring Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ghost-jobs.md) - [Ethical Tech Stack Insights](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/revealstack.md) - [Open Legal Templates](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gitlaw.md) - [Travel Accessibility Toolkits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/accessibility-toolkit.md) - [Privacy-First Market Research Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tiki.md) - [Anonymous Feedback Tools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/candor.md) - [Privacy Consent Assistants](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wiseoptin.md)