DECODE is a response to people’s concerns about a loss of control over their personal information on the internet. The ability to access, control and use personal data has become a means by which internet companies can drive profits.

The people who create much of this data have lost control over how it is used. This is a problem.

• People have lost control of their data. This does not just mean the erosion of privacy and autonomy, it’s also bad for the security of people’s online identity
• The huge quantities of data produced every day offers the potential for insights which could benefit all of society. With the data controlled by a handful of monopolies, this data is inaccessible to people and organisations who want to create solutions and services for public benefit
• The monopolisation of data creates economic inefficiencies and inequalities. This threatens to undermine trust between citizens, public institutions, and companies, which is essential for a stable, sustainable and collaborative economy
• The current digital ecosystem and Internet of Things (IoT) landscape is highly fragmented, with a multitude of non-interoperable vertical solutions, all offering their own set of devices, gateways and platforms, and means of data handling in data “silos”. This fragmentation makes data unmanageable and end users ultimately lose control over it.