‘DEcentralised Citizen Owned Data Ecosystem’ or DECODE, a three-year European Commission-funded project, launched last week and will focus on developing practical alternatives for individuals to manage their information on the internet.

The main channels through which people currently use the internet are controlled by a few big businesses that do not always serve individuals and communities fairly. Moreover, data which could benefit society is locked away in silos and individuals have limited control over it.

DECODE will essentially aim to create and test new blockchain-based tools to give individuals greater control over their data, helping them keep it private or share it for the public good as they see fit. Spanning three years from January 2017 to December 2019, the project will run four public pilots – two in Barcelona and two Amsterdam – to test the new tools and to demonstrate the wider social value that can come as a result of people sharing their data differently.

“DECODE is an ambitious project to give citizens back control of their online data. The ongoing litany of data breaches, government surveillance controversies and the monopolisation of personal data by a small number of giant firms is no longer sustainable. We need a new way for people to consciously protect and share their data”, Eddie Copeland, director of Government Innovation, innovation foundation Nesta said. “The potential to do so is huge; not only can individuals feel greater trust in the services and devices they use; they will also be able to share their data to support the growth of new social ventures, improve the functioning of cities and participate more in open, online democratic processes.”

DECODE is part of Horizon 2020 – the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020).

In total, €5m will be paid to the 14 consortium members undertaking the work – including, the Institut Municipal d'Informatica de Barcelona, Eurecat and the University of Catalonia from Spain, Amsterdam City Council, Dyne and the Waag Society in the Netherlands, Politecnico di Torino/Nexa from Italy, CNRS from France, Arduino from Sweden, and innovation foundation Nesta, Thingful, ThoughtWorks and UCL from the UK. Francesca Bria, Barcelona Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, is the project coordinator.