The leading software developer advocate is optimistic on data access, but shows concern in creating barriers to the free flow of data internationally.
Brussels, November 25th, 2020 — Today, the European Commission has released its proposal for new rules on data governance, the Data Governance Act.
In their release the European Commission states that, “the Regulation will create the basis for a new European way of data governance that is in line with EU values and principles, such as personal data protection (GDPR), consumer protection and competition rules.”
In short, the proposal looks to:
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increase trust in data sharing,
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create new EU rules on data intermediary neutrality,
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facilitate the reuse of certain data held by the public sector,
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and strengthen EU citizen’s control on the use of the data they generate.
In their statements, representatives from the Developers Alliance highlight that, as with GDPR, there is potential for profound effect on the digital economy. This effect is not localized to Europe or one section of the digital economy, including software developers.
“Developers Alliance is supportive of an EU policy for building a data-driven and interconnected economy. It remains to be seen if the data frameworks proposed by the European Commission in the Data Governance Act could be feasible mechanisms to achieve this objective,” stated Karina Stan, Director of EU Policy and Head of Brussels Office. “We remain convinced that viable data-driven ecosystems are those naturally created by the free market. We will closely assess the proposal in order to determine the concrete benefits for software developers and provide our input to the EU policymakers.”
“The digital economy is driven by data, and developers are excited by the innovative opportunities that improved datas access will create,” Bruce Gustafson, Developers Alliance CEO and President. “We’re less excited, however, by the reinforcement of the digital barrier surrounding the EU. Taking data out of the small box of public control and placing it in the slightly larger box of the EU’s borders is very helpful, but falls far short of what EU digital entrepreneurs need to compete globally. Without the free flow of data internationally, there is no way to build the next internet leaders from inside Europe.”
The announcement and full text of the Data Governance Act can be found here.
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About The Developers Alliance
The Developers Alliance is the world’s leading advocate for software developers and the companies invested in their success. Alliance members include industry leaders in consumer, enterprise, industrial, and emerging software development, and a global network of more than 70,000 developers.
