Own your data

Research project, Design Academy Eindhoven. [2015]. If data is ‘the new gold’, how much data do we give away for free? Are we aware of the amount of our valuable and private data we shed daily to numerous companies, providers and services? Do we care? How do we value our data? and how will this data be handled in the future?

Data Building Blocks: We made data building blocks for members of the public get a visual impression of their current data worth. By materialising this abstract but very real notion we spark a discussion as our par ticipants build their data towers and are confronted with the height. This turned out especially confronting, insightful and educational for children and parents participating. After the campus visit, we prototyped an online data protection platform. This mixed the analogue, and DIY Instructables culture with technology to bring about more awareness of how data collection affects every aspect of our lives.

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Data as currency: “Own your own data, and use it to buy a bag of chips.” The data currency vending machine is a design probe. It is designed to speculate with the public on the potential future of data collection and to encourage the reflection of how much their data is worth. A bag of chips? More? Less? We aim to set up a fair exchange whereby the customer has full control and transparency on the data they give away and can choose to use it as their own commodity. The customer fills out a personal questionnaire on the interface to receive the bag of chips.