Most people are aware that companies collect our data. Every like on Instagram, every search on Google, and every step tracked by a fitness app generates data that fuels business models. However, few people realise that they have a right to access this data and can donate it anonymously for charitable and scientific purposes. Data donation can offer a way for individuals to contribute to digital society by sharing their data for social good.
Tech giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon accumulate vast amounts of user data. This data gives them insights into our social connections, interests, purchases and movements. It is immensely valuable to advertisers and tech firms, making them insane sums of money. Google ad revenue was expected to reach $81 billion in 2024. Indeed, just four of the world’s biggest companies—Netflix, Tesla, Google, Amazon—pull in an annual combined $907 billion in revenue from this data alone.
And, with a predictable few at the helm who prioritise profit over the planet, stronger data protection measures—primarily a political challenge—are essential to prevent our information from being exploited. However, data doesn’t have to be a force for harm. If we ask how data can be used to benefit society instead of asking how much money can be made, it could hold immense potential for social good.
Data for good? It’s possible
Research institutions, nonprofit organisations and policymakers also need data to be able to provide useful research or services. Open data is a great example of this. Live information about transport is responsible for hundreds of apps that we use in cities on a daily basis. Without our data, apps that many of us use every day, such as Google Maps or Citymapper, wouldn’t be able to work.
Data on purchase behaviours, health tracking, media consumption and even online conversations, when donated consensually, could all prove extremely powerful in the right hands.
Data donation has already been used to investigate a range of societal issues, from how people consume news and communicate on social media to political search patterns and even mental health indicators. For instance, studies have examined how search engines influence voter behaviour, or whether social media activity can provide early warning signs of depression. By opening up access to the digital traces of our online experience, data donation could offer a way to shift the balance of knowledge away from tech giants and towards the public good.
However, rather than making data available for these purposes, platforms have tightened restrictions in recent years. As a result, companies themselves hold exclusive knowledge about digital behaviour, leaving regulators and researchers with limited insights.
A new power shift in our data rights
Growing awareness of data protection and user rights has led to important legislative advancements in recent years. The EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Switzerland’s revised Data Protection Act (revDSG) enshrine rights such as access to personal data and data portability. These laws allow users to request and download their data in a machine-readable format, such as Data Download Packages (DDPs).
These files, containing a user’s digital history, can then be securely anonymised and transferred using specialised tools like Port or the Data Donation Module, although neither of these tools are currently on the market. Researchers can then, theoretically, directly engage users who consent to provide their personal data for study. The privacy-focused systems protect sensitive information while enabling researchers to analyse real-world digital behaviours.
Overcoming barriers
Donating data is currently just about possible, and research has shown that people are generally willing to do so. However, despite its potential, data donation remains underutilised and under-researched. Low public awareness and privacy concerns are contributing to this. Many users perceive data sharing as complex or fear misuse of their information. Awareness campaigns, citizen science initiatives and outreach events could all help to address these challenges.
If these barriers can be overcome, data donation has the potential to revolutionise scientific and social research by providing independent insights into our complex digital behaviour—beyond what corporations allow us to see. By taking control of our data and choosing to share it for the public good, we can help ensure that everyone—not just the tech giants— benefits from a digital society.
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