As our lives turns increasingly digital, we each leave behind a data footprint – a precious and highly sought-after resource by companies looking to engage, market and sell to us. While individuals have had very little control of how their data is used so far, the Personal Data Economy concept imagines how digitally active individuals can control and monetise their personal data, with the bank’s platform acting as a broker to negotiate contracts on aggregated, anonymised data and generating a source of income from interested parties for willing customers.
In contrast to most retailers, banks are entrusted with sensitive financial information and deeply invested in robust security protocols which, in a future economy, would enable them to act as impartial intermediaries to aggregate, analyse and manage data consent while adhering to privacy and transparency guidelines. This way, customers can finally have a say in their personal data worth if they wish to monetise their information footprint in currency or kind via discounts and loyalty rewards.