Data trusts:
reinforced data governance
that empowers the public
From e-commerce and email to mobile apps, consent to the collection
and use of personal data has become a condition of participation in the digital economy.
While online platforms have facilitated many aspects of our lives, the models of data governance they employ tend to concentrate access to data in the hands of a few large technology companies—excluding citizens from sharing in their value. Recent scandals have also illustrated the extent to which these data governance models make us vulnerable to attacks on our privacy rights, and other human rights abuses.
To restore public trust, new approaches to data governance are desperately needed.
This white paper builds on a workshop that Element AI co-hosted with Nesta. The two day meeting brought together international experts on data governance, machine learning, privacy and property law, worker’s rights, and public policy to examine whether “data trusts” — a third-party stewardship model based on the common law trust — could be used to reinforce data governance and promote public trust.
In particular, the white paper explores whether data trusts can:
