Data Ownership

Data sovereignty is a fundamental principle of our community. Members retain ownership and control over their data while benefiting from shared infrastructure and collaborative platforms.

Data Ownership Principles

Member Data Rights

  • Ownership: Members own all data they create and share
  • Control: Members control how their data is used and shared
  • Access: Members have full access to their own data
  • Portability: Members can export their data at any time
  • Deletion: Members can delete their data with clearly understood consequences

Community Data Stewardship

  • Collective Governance: Community decides how shared infrastructure handles data
  • Transparent Practices: Clear policies on data collection, storage, and use
  • Minimal Collection: Only collect data necessary for service operation
  • Purpose Limitation: Use data only for its intended purpose
  • Retention Limits: Clear limits on how long data is retained

Types of Data

Personal Data

  • Identity Information: Usernames, email addresses, profile information
  • Communication Data: Messages, posts, comments, and conversations
  • Activity Data: Login times, service usage patterns, and interaction history
  • Preference Data: Settings, configurations, and personal customizations

Community Data

  • Collaborative Content: Documents, projects, and shared creations
  • Governance Data: Voting records, meeting minutes, and decision documentation
  • Technical Data: System logs, performance metrics, and operational information
  • Aggregate Data: Anonymous, aggregated usage statistics and trends

Shared Ownership Data

  • Collaborative Documents: Co-created content with multiple contributors
  • Community Projects: Group efforts with shared intellectual property
  • Governance Records: Community decisions and procedural documentation
  • Knowledge Base: Collectively developed documentation and resources

Data Storage and Security

Local Storage

  • Self-Hosted Infrastructure: All data stored on community-controlled servers
  • Geographic Control: Data stored in known physical locations
  • Encryption: Data encrypted at rest and in transit
  • Access Controls: Strict access controls limiting who can access data

Backup and Recovery

  • Regular Backups: Automated, regular backups of all community data
  • Distributed Backups: Backups stored in multiple secure locations
  • Recovery Testing: Regular testing of backup and recovery procedures
  • Member Responsibility: Members encouraged to backup their own important data

Security Measures

  • Multi-layered Security: Multiple security measures protecting data
  • Regular Updates: Security patches and updates applied promptly
  • Monitoring: Continuous monitoring for security threats and breaches
  • Incident Response: Clear procedures for responding to security incidents

Data Access and Sharing

Member Access Rights

  • Data Download: Members can download all their personal data
  • Data Formats: Data provided in open, standard formats
  • Verification: Members can verify what data is stored about them
  • Correction: Members can correct inaccurate data

Sharing Controls

  • Granular Permissions: Fine-grained control over data sharing
  • Consent Management: Clear consent mechanisms for data sharing
  • Revocation: Ability to revoke data sharing permissions
  • Transparency: Clear visibility into who has access to data

Third-Party Integration

  • Minimal Integration: Limited integration with external services
  • Community Approval: Community approval required for major integrations
  • Data Protection: Strong protections when data must be shared externally
  • Alternative Options: Always provide alternatives that don't require external sharing

Data Portability

Export Capabilities

  • Complete Export: Export all personal data in standard formats
  • Selective Export: Export specific types or categories of data
  • Regular Exports: Automated options for regular data exports
  • Migration Support: Assistance with migrating data to other platforms

Standard Formats

  • Open Standards: Use open, documented file formats
  • Interoperability: Formats that work with other platforms and tools
  • Human Readable: Formats that can be read without special software
  • Machine Readable: Formats suitable for automated processing

Migration Assistance

  • Documentation: Clear documentation on data export and migration
  • Tools: Tools to help with data migration to other platforms
  • Community Support: Community assistance with data migration
  • Gradual Migration: Support for gradual migration rather than abrupt departure

Data Deletion and Retention

Deletion Rights

  • Right to Delete: Members can request deletion of their data
  • Verification: Identity verification required for deletion requests
  • Scope: Clear explanation of what data can and cannot be deleted
  • Timeline: Specific timelines for completing deletion requests

Retention Policies

  • Purpose-Based Retention: Retain data only as long as needed for its purpose
  • Legal Requirements: Comply with legal requirements for data retention
  • Community Decisions: Community decides on retention policies for shared data
  • Regular Review: Regular review and cleanup of stored data

Special Considerations

  • Collaborative Content: Special handling for content created with others
  • Community Records: Balancing individual rights with community record-keeping
  • Legal Holds: Procedures for legal holds and investigations
  • Technical Limitations: Honest communication about technical deletion limitations

Privacy Protection

Privacy by Design

  • Built-in Privacy: Privacy considerations integrated into all systems
  • Default Privacy: Strong privacy protections enabled by default
  • Minimal Exposure: Limit exposure of personal data
  • User Control: Maximum user control over privacy settings

Anonymization and Pseudonymization

  • Anonymous Analytics: Use anonymous data for system analytics
  • Pseudonymization: Replace identifying information with pseudonyms when possible
  • Aggregation: Use aggregated data rather than individual data when possible
  • De-identification: Remove identifying information from data when appropriate

Cross-Service Privacy

  • Service Isolation: Limit data sharing between different services
  • Consent Requirements: Require explicit consent for cross-service data sharing
  • Purpose Limitation: Limit use of data to its original purpose
  • Audit Trails: Maintain audit trails of data access and sharing

Community Governance of Data

Democratic Data Governance

  • Community Decisions: Community votes on major data policy changes
  • Transparent Policies: All data policies are public and accessible
  • Regular Review: Regular community review of data practices
  • Feedback Mechanisms: Ways for members to provide feedback on data practices

Data Ethics Committee

  • Oversight Body: Community committee to oversee data practices
  • Ethics Review: Review data practices for ethical implications
  • Policy Development: Develop data policies based on community values
  • Conflict Resolution: Resolve conflicts related to data practices

Accountability Mechanisms

  • Regular Audits: Regular audits of data practices and policies
  • Public Reporting: Public reports on data practices and incidents
  • Member Oversight: Member involvement in data governance oversight
  • External Review: Periodic external review of data practices

Applicable Laws

  • GDPR Compliance: Compliance with European data protection regulation
  • Local Laws: Compliance with local data protection and privacy laws
  • Sector-Specific: Compliance with any applicable sector-specific regulations
  • International Standards: Adherence to international privacy standards

Compliance Monitoring

  • Regular Assessment: Regular assessment of compliance with applicable laws
  • Legal Updates: Monitoring and responding to changes in applicable laws
  • Documentation: Comprehensive documentation of compliance efforts
  • Training: Training for administrators on legal requirements

Rights Enforcement

  • Legal Support: Support for members exercising their legal rights
  • Complaint Procedures: Clear procedures for data-related complaints
  • Regulatory Cooperation: Cooperation with regulatory authorities when required
  • Legal Challenge: Support for legal challenges to protect member rights

Data Innovation and Community Benefits

Beneficial Data Use

  • Community Analytics: Use aggregate data to improve community services
  • Research Projects: Support community research using anonymized data
  • Service Improvement: Use data insights to improve service quality
  • Trend Analysis: Identify trends to better serve community needs

Innovation with Privacy

  • Privacy-Preserving Analytics: Advanced techniques for analysis without compromising privacy
  • Federated Learning: Techniques for learning from data without centralizing it
  • Differential Privacy: Mathematical techniques for protecting individual privacy
  • Homomorphic Encryption: Computation on encrypted data without decryption

Community Benefits

  • Improved Services: Better services through data-driven improvements
  • Community Insights: Understanding community needs and patterns
  • Resource Optimization: More efficient use of community resources
  • Predictive Capabilities: Anticipating and preparing for community needs

Data ownership is not just about individual rights—it's about collective empowerment. By maintaining control over our data, we preserve our autonomy and ensure our digital infrastructure serves our community's values and goals.