Edinburgh’s DDI initiative to host ‘digital human rights’ meeting

Data ethics on the agenda as global community for personal data comes to Scotland’s capital

MyData Global, an award-winning nonprofit and community for digital human rights, is to hold its annual meet-up in Edinburgh, 19-20 March.

The two-day meeting will include workshops, the organisation’s spring general meeting, and the launch of the MyData 2019 conference. The event is open to all organisations and individuals active and interested in the personal data ecosystem.

This is the tenth community meeting of the MyData Global network, an international community aiming to empower individuals by improving their right to self-determination regarding personal data.

“In the last few years, we’ve been flooded with scandals regarding data leaks. The GDPR is an improvement, but it alone is not enough. We want to see people given control over their data and we also want to see new businesses and innovations based on personal data. The MyData model is a vision for new and fairer practices, design principles, and their implementation,” explains MyData Global’s General Manager, Teemu Ropponen.

The MyData concept was born in Finland to promote the ethical use of personal data in all areas of life, including business, legislation, technology, and society. Designed to protect digital human rights, its main principles are defined in the MyData Declaration, which has been translated into eight languages.

MyData Global is an international nonprofit, founded in October 2018, formalising a network of like-minded people and organisations. In just over four months, MyData Global has been joined by over 500 members, including 70 organisations, from over 40 countries on six continents.

“The time is now ripe for an organisation that seeks to enable a more sustainable and balanced digital society globally. Personal data has enormous potential for making our lives easier and our societies better. Used in a way that is respectful of individuals and the standards of fairness, personal data also creates enormous opportunities for new business and innovations,” illustrates the chair of the board for MyData Global, Sarah Medjek.

Individuals and organisations interested in the mission of MyData Global are welcome to join at mydata.org/join and to sign the MyData Declaration: mydata.org/declaration

MyData Scotland will also organise a Fringe Event “Mapping Data Ecosystems Workshop” on 18 March, as part of the UK’s first two-week long festival of data innovation, Data Fest.