The datafication of the public sector appears to be a global trend. Related topics such as e-government or digital governance have received much attention. Many countries are shaping their data policies to increase data exchange in the public sector and to gain access to privately held data, as can be seen in their national data strategies. New EU-level legislation has also been issued, aiming to facilitate open data development and proper data governance. Disturbing measures for contact tracing and data collection, however, proliferate over the past few years in the name of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic even though public health and data protection policies vary across countries. We believe there is an urgent need to re-examine the relationship between citizens, the private sector,and the public sector in particular with regard to personal data access and reuse.
• What are the legal, social, and other tensions caused by the existing data use practices of governmental departments and agencies?
• How do awareness, norms, resources, technologies, and tools impact on people’s participation in forming consensus about the access to and reuse of their personal data?
• To what extent has the public changed their view on personal data protection after COVID? How and why have they changed?
• What are the regional differences and characteristics in the practice of personal data protection?
