We are in a 'personal data gold rush'driven by advertising being the primary revenue source
for most online companies. These companies accumulate extensive personal data about
individuals with minimal concern for us, the subjects of this process. This can cause many
harms: privacy infringement, personal and professional embarrassment, restricted access to
labour markets, restricted access to highest value pricing, and many others. There is a
critical need to provide technologies that enable alternative practices, so that individuals can …

We propose there is a need for a technical platform enabling people to engage with the
collection, management and consumption of personal data; and that this platform should
itself be personal, under the direct control of the individual whose data it holds. In what
follows, we refer to this platform as the Databox, a personal, networked service that collates
personal data and can be used to make those data available. While your Databox is likely to
be a virtual platform, in that it will involve multiple devices and services, at least one instance …