The European Union is on a mission to achieve data sovereignty. This is supported by the European Digital Strategy, released last year. It is aimed at realising the EU’s vision of ensuring that, by 2030, the EU’s share of the data economy is in line with the region’s traditional economic weight. And the strategy itself is based upon empowering businesses and people with the right technology to gain control of their data.
But are we equally as concerned about data as the EU policymakers? Although incidents such as data leaks and data abuse of data fuel controversy and debate, they haven’t yet led to a mass exodus from platforms or social media channels.
Data sovereignty and data sharing
In recent years, the discussion around data sovereignty and data sharing has steadily increased. The public is more aware of what is right way to handle their data and that their data itself is a valuable asset. The General Data Protection Regulation has paved the way for organisations to be more responsible with people's data. Now is the time for regulation to evolve and support individuals' data sovereignty.
Meaningful control, ownership, and other claims to data articulated by a variety of agents ranging from individuals to countries. Data sovereignty alludes to a nuanced mixture of normative concepts such as inclusive deliberation and recognition of the fundamental rights of data subjects. Data sovereignty: A review, Hummel et al. (2021)
Whilst it may be helpful to have a legal description of what data sovereignty means, we're really interested in what it means in practical terms, and how it contributes to the development of a more equitable digital society.
How does it impact our daily life as citizens, employees, customers, patients and students?
How many of us really think about all the data we are producing, or what happens to it?
And what does data sovereignty mean to you?
The answers to all these questions and more will be published as part of the first Data Sovereignty Monitor, providing us with a dashboard of where we are today and how we are thinking about our digital life in the future.
Please spare a few minutes of your time to help us learn from one another by sharing your opinions in this anonymised survey on this important topic.
Take the survey¹
At Meeco, we're proud to support the Data Sovereignty Now campaign which underlines the importance of digital rights including the right for individuals and organisations to have control over what data is collected about them and how it is used.
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¹ This survey is no longer available. To view an archived copy click here.
