Exploring the nascent personal data {portability, sharing, mobility} market models, players and positioning.

{portability, sharing, mobility} this is used to provide the widest possible coverage of models and thinking. Portability that the data can move, sharing data as the ability to have access but does not need to move, and mobility as in the data is decentralized

Any discussion about personal data leads to opinions being shared about what it means (to someone) based on the position you start from; a personal view is different from a groups view, which is different from a citizens view and different again from an enterprise views. Inevitably there is a heated exchange as one of the parties believes in the purity of their view(point) and model to create a utopia and panacea for everyone.

Once we grasp that there are massive gaps, voids and value in any of the starting positions; adding the complexity of assumptions, experiences and data itself, we can look at the different approaches and debate the wide range of solutions. The purpose of this post is to provide a framework to move on from a “single unified theory of personal data”

Below in figure 1, is not an exhaustive list, but one that sets out some of the issues which creates friction when talking about personal data (digital footprints, exhaust, pixy dust, whatever.) A critical one, which is endlessly debated, is the “ownership” of data, and as a specific topic it is explored in much more detail in this long post here at Data is…