Four Steps to Becoming a MyData Operator
On 29 April 2020, MyData Global, an international nonprofit organisation, published a paper ‘Understanding MyData Operators’ which provides a foundation for a roadmap towards a human-centric personal data infrastructure. In a collaborative effort involving 34 experts and supported by 48 personal data operators across 15 countries, it established a common starting point for interoperability between organisations and various data operators.
What is a MyData operator?
MyData Operators enable the sharing of personal data across services where the use of data is transparent and controlled by individuals. As providers of infrastructure for personal data management, they are the key parties in creating sustainable ecosystems for the fair and ethical use of personal data.
To illustrate this, imagine a world where users are in the driver’s seat when it comes to how their personal data is being used and shared in ‘real-time’. And imagine a marketplace, where personal data can seamlessly be exchanged between organisations in a consensual and regulatory compliant manner.
With the support of a MyData Operator platform, this can be a reality. In short, a MyData Operator is an entity that EMPOWERS consumers and enables them to say ‘yes’ to sharing their data with confidence and trust. It ENABLES companies to be transparent in the way they use individuals’ data thereby reducing the risk of non-compliance. AND it makes it possible for organisations and individuals to leverage personal data assets for mutual benefit.
Covid-19 crisis proves the relevance of a MyData operator. Today!
Digital mistrust is one of the symptoms of the increased use of personal data in the thirst for universal digital transformation. For consumers, the various well-publicised reports of data misuse by organisations, large and small, has resulted in extreme caution when asked to share data about themselves. This is particularly relevant in our current situation, having to understand and fight the impact of COVID-19 in a privacy-preserving way.
While privacy and data protection regulations are not new, this paper outlines the need for every business to embrace the principles of being a MyData Operator. There is, perhaps, a clear opportunity for traditional businesses to revamp their role in society and use highly reliable personal data in a fair manner in their digitisation journey. Here are four essential steps for every business, especially those catering to consumers, to consider on the path to becoming a MyData Operator:
Step 01: Enable transparency and permissions for personal data usage
Step 02: Make your data accessible and downloadable for users
Step 03: Embrace identity interoperability by adopting self-sovereign identity principles
Step 04: Be part of a data exchange ecosystem to provide superior services to enable your users to leverage data even outside your organisation
Uniqueness of a data operator solution via iGrant.io
iGrant.io has embraced the principles of MyData Global particularly in making transparent the grounds on which personal data is used and shared as well as the measures taken to protect it. Surprisingly, even with the GDPR, an organisation can retain an existing business model that requires access to large amounts of personal data from other organisations via a controlled data exchange.
Large organisations typically have systems or channels which are siloed and not synchronized. iGrant.io provides a way to manage user preferences and consents across these silos in a synchronized and cost effective manner, ensuring that consents are accessible across channels via centralised end-points.
Organisations need to constantly improve their transparency and user convenience to create new business opportunities. Apart from meeting the requirements of compliance, a data operator makes it possible for organisations to leverage personal data, converting threatening data liabilities to potential assets while making users say YES to data sharing with confidence and trust.
At iGrant.io we are excited to be among the founding members of the MyData Operator Thematic Group as key contributors to the recently published whitepaper, contributing and sharing our thoughts with the wider community.
iGrant.io has created a pro bono, open source initiative together with MyData Sweden whereby citizens can share their data with confidence in a collective effort to prevent the spread of the virus during the COVID-19 crisis and save lives. Data4Life promotes the consented use of citizen data for the greater good to bring life back to normalcy. Read more at Data4Life Initiative. You can also view the demo video of the solution.
Do reach out to us for more information and demo at demo@igrant.io.
