Personal Data Value

Last week the final version of the EU data protection legislation was finally agreed: “EU rules on data protection put the citizen back in the driving seat”. As we enter into the two-year implementation phase of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), it is important to realize that the regulations are only one piece of a rapidly evolving personal data ecosystem. So what happens next?

This is a perfect moment to officially announce the MyData 2016 event that will take place in Helsinki from August 31st to September 2nd for one purpose: to bring the value of personal data for people, give individuals control over their own data while at the same time boosting technological innovation.

Open Knowledge Finland, Aalto University and FING are teaming up to host MyData 2016, an international event bringing together up to 1000 participants from businesses, research community, civil society, government and local communities to hopefully sunny August in Helsinki Finland. Subscribe to the newsletter in order to get informed about tickets and programme.

The laws have been passed, but it remains uncertain how they will affect the online services that handle personal data. It is critically important that industry giants, tech startups, and civil society come together to design a system that works, for everyone. In Finland, this has already been an area of focus for researchers and technologists, one that led to the creation of a human-centric model for personal data called MyData which is recognized at the level of national government agenda as well as supported many big and small organizations.

The event is intended to open and expand the international community around human centric personal data management. We want to build a truly international forum for piloting projects that innovate around the ethical use of personal data, helping companies find solutions for complying with the regulation, and shedding light on the technical and legal trends in personal data management for the general public.

The event organizing team is calling for suggestions and ideas for what people would like to see at the event, including anything ranging from speakers, sessions, topics, relevant contacts or organizations, evening programs, or any other ideas, big or small: http://mydata2016.org/programme

The event will be held in the Aalto LUME Media Center, the same location as the popular Open Knowledge Festival (OK Fest) in 2012. Members of the OK Fest core organizing team are behind the upcoming MyData event, so participants can expect the same community-driven, co-created, festival-feel (plus a revival of the Open Sauna) next August in Finland’s capital. Expect hacking, lively discussions, the birth of new ideas, and the launch of new commercial products. BYOD (Bring Your Own Data)!

If you like the event idea please spread the word – we are in Twitter @mydata2016.