When Data Become Commons: Models of Data Sharing and Re-use Perspectives

Abstract

European data regulation is changing paradigm: the emphasis is no longer only on the profile of protection and control, but also on sharing. In this direction go, in particular, the Data Governance Act and the Data Act. The former, in fact, promotes the reuse of protected data held by public entities, intermediation and so-called altruism of data. The latter focuses on the issues of data access, the right to share data with third parties, and finally the obligation to make data from private entities available to public entities for exceptional needs. In short, the new European regulatory season frees up new data flows between public and private sectors (Business to Government and Government to Business). The paper proposes a critical reinterpretation of these regulations and promotes the idea of data for common good: a special regime for data held by private entities but in the public interest, complementing the social sustainability policies of large companies.