Owning our own data gives us a whole new option:
We can donate our data.
Our combined datasets are of great interest to any organisation conducting scientific or market research. If we succeed, together we will create the largest pool of personal data - distributed and protecting individual privacy.
Of course, we do not want to give away our data to everyone. That would not really be a donation. So we need to be empowered to set criteria for our data donations.
Since we are dealing with organisations that want to have access to our data, these criteria will have something to do with the behaviour of the organisations. For example, the criteria could be about the environmental or social impact of the organisation. And we, as an organisation, need to be able to verify these criteria.
To sum it up: Organisations will accept our terms and conditions because they want to have access to our attractive data pool. This means that they have to report on certain aspects of their behaviour. We use this information to allow users to donate only to those organisations that meet their expectations.
Using it for the good of society
Many of the possible criteria share a common definition of good, e.g. the sooner an organisation is carbon neutral, the better. This creates a strong incentive for organisations to improve their behaviour: The sooner an organisation becomes carbon neutral, the more data from our pool will be available to them.
So transparency is needed to enable such a donation system. And when it is in place, it will also provide journalists and NGOs with the information they need to fulfil their role in society. In the end, it is a fair deal: Organisations want information about us - and in return they have to give us information about them.
There is another aspect to consider: The information provided must be verified. Organisations will have to pay for this auditing, and we want allied NGOs to orchestrate the auditing process. This is an opportunity for NGOs to generate a steady income by auditing organisations in their own area of expertise.
Unleashing new power
It is important that our collective data is widely and openly available for research - under secure conditions. This will drive innovation and advance society.
Our focus on transparency and data donation for good behaviour aims to maximise the positive effects for creating and maintaining a free society.
Controlling access to our personal data is a new power that we, the users, have unlocked. We must use it wisely.