The MyData Operator Award recognises personal data companies that have shown leadership by empowering individuals to control their personal data. As promoted by the European Commission, putting people in the centre of digital transformations is needed for a safe and sustainable digital future. Further, boosting data sharing and ensuring its trustworthiness is critical to reaping the benefits of our digitised lives.
Organizations awarded with the MyData Operator Award are vital enablers for such a vision, providing value for companies and individuals alike.
The change of data paradigm is on
Today, 33 service providers across 15 countries were awarded the status of MyData Operator 2022. A total of 41 companies and organisations have been awarded to date. The award symbolises best practice that reassures individuals, governments, investors, and other companies and organisations alike. The MyData Operator 2022 award was created by the internationally recognised nonprofit MyData Global.
Whilst congratulating the Awardees, Teemu Ropponen, General Manager of MyData Global, said: “We believe that empowering people with real choices over their data is rapidly becoming the norm for digital services. Innovative digital services make use of personal data extensively. Today, we celebrate those leading organisations from around the world that create tools that put people first and allow people to have a better understanding, control and agency over their data.”
Acknowledging best practice
The MyData Operator Award, launched in 2020, reflects the rising demand for a more ethical and human-centric approach to personal data. The Award process gives companies and organisations the opportunity to transparently communicate their business practices and service offering, raising trust in their operations. Further, companies must clarify how they ensure that individuals remain primary beneficiaries of their services. The awardees’ applications are made publicly available.
A major paradigm shift is on its way. Data Governance Act, Data Act, EU e-identity will have even more impact than RGPD. A huge new playing field is emerging !
— Benjamin André (@benibur) March 18, 2022
At @cozycloud we are very proud to be among the very leaders of this revolution.
The reality for the public is that personal data management seems remote, technical, and at times incomprehensible. They are not alone. As more organisations ingest, use, store, and share personal data, concerns about data protection have increased. MyData Operator Awards emphasise the best of both worlds – promoting how privacy and data protection can be ensured, whilst outlining how companies can empower individuals regarding their data. Individual empowerment means helping individuals access, share and get insights from their digital footprints to make informed decisions and get better services. This is achieved by connecting their data, such as health, travel, or financial, with other personal data to build a comprehensive overview of their life.
MyData Operators are examples of what the recent EU Data Governance Act calls “data intermediaries”. They are set to play a critical role in the provision of the EU’s vision for data spaces. But this is not all theory and vision. Dozens of organisations are already active in the market.
MyData Vice-Chair Antti “Jogi” Poikola, commenting on the Awards and the newly published update to the “Understanding MyData Operators” white paper, noted: “The operator self-descriptions from three years of awards and associated workshops have provided rich content that was previously unavailable. Awarded companies have helped validate the reference model for operator services and guide actions towards interoperability. This is highly important to unlock data sharing across ecosystems and ensure it's done securely and ethically.”
More information
See the organisations awarded the MyData Operator 2022 status: mydata.org/award.
“Understanding MyData Operators” white paper is available at mydata.org/operators.
About MyData Global
MyData Global is an award-winning international nonprofit. The purpose of MyData Global is to empower individuals by improving their right to self-determination regarding their personal data. MyData Global has over 100 organisation members and nearly 400 individual members across industries from over 50 countries on six continents. The nonprofit facilitates the MyData community of several thousand personal data experts and enthusiasts.
MyData is described in the EU data strategy as a promising initiative for empowering citizens through exercising their digital rights.
