Data Cooperatives to Strengthen Digital Citizenship: Opportunities and Risks

Abstract

This chapter explores the concept of data cooperatives as an innovative organizational form in the modern data economy. Data cooperatives enable citizens to collectively manage, control, and use their data to achieve collective benefits. The chapter highlights the definition and principles of data cooperatives, their central functions, and the necessary technical and organizational infrastructure for their implementation. It shows how data cooperatives can help strengthen digital citizenship, promote innovation, and enable a fairer distribution of the benefits of data use. The challenges and limitations of this model are also discussed. The practical implementation of data cooperatives in various areas is illustrated based on practical examples. The chapter argues that data cooperatives represent a promising model for reducing the power asymmetries in the current data economy and for shaping a fairer, more transparent, and more democratic digital future, thereby instilling a sense of security and trust in the audience.