Dataägd

Dataägd is a term used in Nordic and European digital rights discussions to describe a model in which individuals or communities hold ownership and governance rights over their data. The word combines data with ägd, the Scandinavian past participle meaning owned, signaling a shift from data as an institutional asset to data as a person-centered resource.

Principles include explicit consent, data portability, transparency about how data is used, and the ability to grant or revoke access. Dataägd aims to empower individuals to control what data is collected, who can access it, for what purposes, and under which terms.

Practical implementations rely on mechanisms such as personal data stores, data trusts or data cooperatives, and self-sovereign identity, which enable individuals to store data securely and grant access via standardized permissions or licenses. Interoperability standards and auditable governance are emphasized to ensure accountability.

Context and relations: Dataägd intersects with ideas of data sovereignty, data governance, and data portability. It does not necessarily replace existing data markets but redefines ownership and consent models within them, potentially enabling new forms of data sharing that protect privacy and give individuals revenue options in some models.

Criticism focuses on the complexity of enforcement, potential fragmentation, and the risk that data ownership concepts could complicate legitimate data collaboration or disproportionately burden individuals. Proponents argue that it aligns incentives toward privacy and user control.

See also: data sovereignty, personal data store, data trust, self-sovereign identity.