European Data Governance Act - Summarized for Everyone

A 1-minute summary of the Data Governance Act of the European Union

The Data Governance Act (DGA) is a new law in the European Union (EU) that aims to make it easier and safer to share data. This could be helpful for businesses and citizens alike.

The law itself is published here.

Here are the key points of the DGA:

• Making it easier to share public data: The DGA makes it easier for public organizations, such as governments, to share data with businesses and other organizations. This data can be used to develop new products and services, improve efficiency, and solve societal challenges.

• Creating data intermediaries: The DGA creates a new type of organization called a "data intermediary." Data intermediaries help businesses and organizations connect with each other and share data safely and securely.

• Encouraging data altruism: The DGA encourages individuals and companies to share their data for the public good. This data can be used for research, innovation, and other purposes that benefit society.

Overall, the DGA aims to create a more open and trusted data ecosystem in the EU. This could lead to new opportunities for businesses and citizens alike.

A thorough review:

The DGA, though, is worth exploring in detail. Let's do that now.

Re-use of certain categories of data held by public sector bodies

Imagine you have valuable information locked away in a safe. The Data Governance Act (DGA) is like a new set of rules to make it easier and safer to share this information with others, if you choose to.

Here's why sharing information (data) is important:

• It can help businesses create new things and improve existing products and services.

• It can help solve problems in areas like healthcare, the environment, and transportation.

• It can create new jobs and help small businesses grow.

Right now, sharing data can be difficult because people don't always trust each other with it. The DGA aims to change this by:

• Making it easier for governments to share public data securely.

• Creating new companies called "data intermediaries" to help connect businesses and organizations safely and securely when they want to share data.

• Encouraging people to share their data voluntarily (for good causes) in a way that protects their privacy.

Here's an example: A French company called DAMAE Medical is developing new technology to help doctors identify skin cancer. To improve their technology, they need access to a large amount of data on skin health. The DGA can help them get access to this data from the French government in a safe and secure way, while still protecting people's privacy.

Data intermediation services

What's the problem?

Many companies are hesitant to share their data because they worry about losing their competitive edge or having their data misused.

What's the solution?

The Data Governance Act (DGA) introduces data intermediaries to act as trusted third parties that connect companies with others who want to use their data. These intermediaries are like safe and fair marketplaces for data.

How do they work?

• Data intermediaries cannot use the data they handle for their own benefit. They act as neutral connectors, not data sellers.

• They are legally separate from any other services they might offer, to avoid conflicts of interest.

• They must be approved by a government authority and follow strict rules to ensure data privacy and security.

Examples:

• Deutsche Telekom's Data Intelligence Hub: This platform allows companies to securely share and monetize data, while keeping control over who uses it.

• DAWEX: This French company connects data providers and users, providing tools for them to understand, assess, and share data securely.

• API-AGRO: This agricultural data hub uses DAWEX technology to facilitate data sharing within the farming industry, with a neutral intermediary ensuring fair and secure transactions.

Data altruism

What is it?

Data altruism is about sharing your data voluntarily and for free, to benefit society as a whole. This data could be anything from your fitness tracker information to your browsing history.

Why do it?

By sharing your data, you can help researchers and companies develop better products and services in areas like healthcare, environment, and transportation.

How does it work?

• You can share your data through trusted organizations that follow strict rules to protect your privacy.

• These organizations are called data altruism organizations.

• There will be a common consent form to make it easy for you to understand what data is being shared and for what purpose.

• You can always change your mind and stop sharing your data at any time.

Examples:

• MyData Global: This organization helps individuals control their data and allows them to share it for specific purposes.

• Smart Citizen: This platform lets people share data on noise and pollution levels in their areas, helping researchers and governments address these issues.

• Corona-Datenspende-App (Germany): This app collected data from fitness trackers to help researchers identify potential COVID-19 hotspots early on.

European Data Innovation Board

What is it?

The European Data Innovation Board (EDIB) is a group of experts brought together by the European Commission. Their goal is to help countries in Europe share data more easily and securely.

What do they do?

• They share best practices on how to:

  • Use data intermediaries (safe platforms for companies to share data)

  • Encourage data altruism (people sharing data for the public good)

  • Make better use of public data that isn't already openly available

  • Set standards for how different systems can work together across different industries (like different companies' software being able to "talk" to each other)

• They can also propose guidelines for protecting data when it's shared outside of Europe.

Who is on the board?

The board includes experts from:

• Different European countries

• Organizations that protect data privacy and security

• Businesses, including small and medium-sized businesses

International data flows

What's the issue?

The EU wants to be open to sharing data with other countries, but they also want to make sure the data is protected. This is called an open, yet assertive approach.

Why is it important?

Sharing data can help businesses grow and create jobs, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

What does the DGA do?

The Data Governance Act (DGA) helps create trust and security when sharing data with countries outside the EU. It builds on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which protects personal data.

How does it work?

• The DGA sets similar safeguards for non-personal data as the GDPR does for personal data.

• This means the country receiving the data (outside the EU) needs to promise to protect it as well as the EU does.

• The EU can also create model contracts to help make sure data is protected when shared with public organizations in other countries.