Building a 'Commons for Data' Lab is one of the special events at Border Sessions in The Hague on June 16th, hosted by DataCommons and Waag.
DataCommons is the association of citizens that wants to recapture the right to self-determination over their own data. Currently the data from our thermostats, wristbands, route planners and pedometers is harvested, processed and marketed in an opaque way. The conditions of use of smart devices that we buy in stores are often take it or leave it. On the whole, you share the data with the manufacturer as well as with several unknown underlying parties. The device itself is a closed system. Opening it or adjusting it according to your own needs and ideas is not an option.
This is not the Internet of things that we have in mind. We want a public, freely accessible infrastructure through which we can remotely read or control devices or sensors. We want to be able to create, apply and adapt the required smart devices ourselves. Further, maybe we want to share the data that comes from it, or maybe not: either way, we like to determine that for ourselves. Unacceptable? We do not think so. The technology is ready and the possibilities are up for grabs! During this lab we will build an actual common for a civil data set: the way we use our bikes in cities.
We will receive data from several sources like the City of The Hague and Deliveroo to experiment with.
This lab is a collaboration between DataCommons and Waag. After two short introductions by Socrates Schouten and Bas Leerintveld to create a clear starting point for the rest of the day, the participants of this lab will jointly (and parallel) work on the required organisation, technology, rules and communication of a commons for bike data, in which we as citizens can add and enrich sources like the once mentioned above.
