We are pleased to announce Meeco has received the MyData Operator Award for the second year running!
The MyData Operator Award honours personal data firms that have demonstrated leadership by giving people control over their data. It demonstrates that ethical alternatives exist and can benefit both businesses and people.
In total, 22 service providers across 11 countries were awarded the status of MyData Operator 2021. A total of 30 companies and organisations have been recognised to date.
MyData Operators are examples of what the recent EU Data Governance Act terms “data intermediaries”, and they are expected to play a key role in implementing the EU's vision for data.
“The development of the Data Governance Act (DGA) shows a clear link to the MyData Operators whitepaper, which describes the operations and functions of what the EU terms ‘data intermediaries’. Seeing how the whitepaper and the MyData Operator Awards have influenced legislation is a significant step in realising the principles in the MyData Declaration.”
- Antti “Jogi” Poikola, MyData Chair
Service providers with the MyData Operator status are ahead of the curve. They provide services that ensure privacy and data protection, while empowering people to make informed decisions, based on data insights.
“We believe tools created by service providers that empower people with real choices over their data are rapidly becoming the norm for personal data and digital services. The current situation is unsustainable both from a human and a market perspective, as recent publicity on incumbent platforms such as Facebook again illustrates. So, we celebrate those organisations that put people first.”
-Teemu Ropponen, General Manager of MyData Global
Out of silos and into the hands of people
Meeco began pioneering data sovereignty in 2012 and our vision was captured early on in our manifesto. Back then, social media apps were exploding, connecting people across the globe. But there was already unease, with increasing awareness that people were the products of these free to use services, funded by advertising. As this awareness grew, so did the importance of acknowledging the value of data.
“Everyone is born with a digital twin: every child born in today’s digital world will live a dual physical and digital life. How we enable privacy and security for their digital twin is as important as the rights afforded to them in the physical world.”
- Katryna Dow, CEO and Founder, Meeco, World Government Summit 2019
Our approach to protecting these rights is based on Privacy by Design which ensures regulatory compliance and transparency, which builds trust. Moreover, our goal is to ensure that data exchange creates shared value and that data monetisation is not one sided.
In 2015, we came across MyData. Its ethos really resonated with Meeco. MyData is a human centred approach in personal data management that combines industry need to data with digital human rights. MyData is both an alternative vision and guiding technical principles for how we, as individuals, can have more control over the data trails we leave behind us in our everyday actions. The core idea is that we, you and I, should have an easy way to see where data about us goes, specify who can use it, and alter these decisions over time.
My Data’s whitepaper, A Nordic Model for human-centered personal data management and processing presented a framework, principles, and a model for a human-centric approach to managing and processing personal information. In early 2020, MyData released the MyData Operator whitepaper, outlining the type of technology required to enable digital rights. Soon after, the MyData Operator initiative was created, and the status was awarded to 16 organisations around the world, including Meeco.
For more details about how the Meeco vision for data aligns with MyData Operator, take a look at our CEO and Founder Katryna Dow's presentation on this year's Data Sovereignty International Forum 2021.
Congratulations to the other awardees, we are thrilled to be in great company!
Meeco was one of the first recipients of the MyData Award in 2020, qualifying to receive the Award again in 2021 demonstrates both our commitment and expertise.
If you would like to find out more about how Meeco can help your organisation become a MyData Operator and deliver human-centric data services, please reach out, we would love to hear from you!
