My data, my rules: From data extractivism to digital empowerment

In a 'winner takes all' economy, the present balance between private profit, collective benefits and individual agency has become unsustainable. A host of vices, ranging from fiendishly complex web privacy policies to opaque, pervasive malpractices in the commercial exploitation of users' personal data explain why the debate on individual empowerment, sovereignty and self-determination is heating up. Individuals' battle for ownership of their data is now echoed in many research projects and legal frameworks (such as the GDPR and the California Privacy Act), spawning a number of start-ups and social innovation projects.