Byteshandel

Byteshandel, a term used primarily in German-speaking contexts, describes the buying and selling of digital data as a commodity. In English, this is often referred to as data trading, data brokerage, or data marketplace activity. Byteshandel encompasses raw data streams, datasets, and derivative data products produced by organizations from user interactions, sensors, transactions, and other digital traces.

Market participants include data brokers, data marketplaces, apps, and enterprises that generate data and customers who purchase data for marketing, analytics, or research. Transactions typically occur via licenses or subscriptions, with pricing based on data volume, recency, granularity, and the coverage of attributes. Data can be anonymized, aggregated, or licensed with identifiers, and vendors emphasize provenance and quality controls to maintain trust.

Data types common in byteshandel include behavioral data (web and app activity), transactional data, location or sensor data, and demographic or firmographic data. The value of a dataset depends on accuracy, timeliness, uniqueness, and the ability to integrate with other data sources. Ethical considerations and privacy risks are central; many jurisdictions require consent, purpose limitation, and robust safeguards.

Regulation varies by jurisdiction. In the European Union, the General Data Protection Regulation governs handling of personal data, while other regions have similar privacy laws. Re-identification risks, data leakage, and diffuse accountability present ongoing challenges for buyers and sellers. Critics argue byteshandel can erode privacy, while supporters say it enables innovation, better targeting, and economic growth when conducted responsibly.