Data Governance & Privacy
How personal and public data is collected, used, and protected — including surveillance, data sovereignty, and the rights of individuals and communities over their own information.
Trajectory
Collapse of protection
Main driver
Data as top commodity; pervasive surveillance
Leading actors
Corporations; authoritarian states
State in 2040
Protection meaningless; identity = privilege
Data is the most valuable commodity alongside energy and water. States and companies collect biometric, financial and social data on a large scale to analyse markets, optimise economic processes and develop new revenue streams. Many companies engage in unofficial data cooperation with governments. Data protection has become largely meaningless. Digital identity systems define social life — citizens receive or lose privileges based on their digital data profiles.