Personal Data Manifest

Today big tech firms know more about us than we do ourselves. Instead of helping us to make better choices in life, they earn billions by selling our private details to the highest bidders. We’ve all experienced this to one level or another. You show up for a job interview, and you realize that the interviewer already knows everything about you thanks to a nifty, digital profile compilation tool. You were looking for a gift for a loved one, and were cyber-stalked by product ads for weeks on end. And with new technologies emerging, such as virtual and augmented reality, the potential sources for personal datamining are about to explode.

That’s not to say that Big Data is bad. It exists to make our lives easier, more convenient and to help us wade through a world flooded with information to find what’s actually relevant for us. But how do we capitalize on the benefits of Big Data, without giving up control of our personal information? How can we gain transparency and self-determination?

We believe personal data should be personal

We believe you should be able to decide how your data is used. We believe that just visiting a website, should not mean that you sign over all rights to your personal information to be used against you at any given time. We believe that good things can come from data analytics, but that how analytics are used should be determined, not just by profit-seeking companies, but by the people whose data is being collected. In other words, by you and me.

We believe it’s time for new ways of doing business

We believe the time has come for new business models that empower consumers to take control of their data. For example, your data is out there but you have no access to it. You have no idea if it is good or bad. You don’t know if it gives an accurate portrayal of you as an individual. And companies who base their go-to-market models and marketing decisions on this data are acting on unvetted information. But what if you could access this information and evaluate it to determine its authenticity? What if it could then be used to help you make smarter decisions and to give you more insight into yourself? Suddenly the balance of power would shift, and the nature of relationships between companies and consumers would change for the better.

We’re looking for people who agree

We don’t believe we’re alone in this endeavor. We believe there are others who want to harness the potential of data and use it for good. People who want to use technology to put power back into the hands of consumers, so that each individual can be the master of his or her own data, and decide what they want to share, when they want to share and with whom.

These companies are already creating a wave of alternative services: personal tools driven by personal data, really serving the interests of individuals. Soon these start-ups will compel tech giants to change course. We want to help them accelerate that process.

Our mission is to gather like-minded individuals, be they corporates, start-ups, entrepreneurs or activists, to create a movement that will create an undeniable force for change, one that will compel tech companies to change their business model.

By engaging with each other, by sharing ideas, news and events, we can gather an unstoppable crowd to facilitate a tipping point. By providing a platform where we can meet and collaborate, we hope to develop the tools and services that will give us control of our data more quickly. And by doing so, force companies to actually engage with their customers and win their trust (and business) by creating value, not through manipulation.

Who we are

We are a crowd of conscious consumers, engaged developers, start-ups and business professionals who share these goals:

1. Take back control

Find ways to extract distributed personal data, to collect it in a personal space and be able to decide who gets to peek inside.

2. Cooperate to accelerate

Big change happens when we work together. We need start-ups as well as corporates, politicians and programmers; anyone who wants to contribute, to help us create the tools and services necessary to take back control.

3. Create new business models that benefit all

Systemic disruption will only take place when the change benefits both business and society. We seek business models that create value for all.

What you can do

We need your help. The more people, the bigger the impact. If you agree with what you read here, and you want to help us enact change, here’s what you can do:

1. Make your consent known. If you agree with this manifesto, sign your name below. There is strength in numbers, so the more individuals we gather, the stronger our ability to enact real and immediate change.

2. Join this channel. You’ll be the first to know about new initiatives you can join or events you can attend.

3. Get involved. Reach out to hello@wwwave.one for a (digital) coffee and an opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas.