Amsterdam and Barcelona Are Handing Citizens Control of Their Data

Summary

The hashtag #deletefacebook began trending earlier this year, following revelations that millions of individuals’ data may have been improperly shared with the election consultancy Cambridge Analytica. It became a rallying cry for people dissatisfied with the way their personal information is used for financial gain.

Now, Amsterdam and Barcelona are trialling an alternative model. Dubbed DECODE (DEcentralised Citizen-owned Data Ecosystems), it will allow people to decide which applications, platforms and tools can access their information, and allow governments and the private sector to use it for the common good.