The world runs on consumer data. Every internet click, search, and swipe you make generates value in the digital economy – value that others quietly take. Many companies seem to forget that their services exist to benefit people, and the data it produces would not exist if not for the people who use them. Your data should work for you, and it needs the power of a union to secure the best treatment and compensation.

My Data Union draws inspiration from the labor movements that redefined fairness in the workplace. Those movements fought to ensure that people were not treated like corporate property, but as stakeholders with a voice. The same imbalance exists in the digital economy today; users create valuable property that is extracted without consent or compensation. They are treated like “the product,” who deserve only what they are given. My Data Union exists to correct that imbalance; not through rhetoric, but through structure, strategy, and scale.

My Data Union was built to empower its members to take ownership of their data, decide how it is used, and earn their fair share for participating. That may sound like a bold claim, but it is grounded in careful design. My Data Union’s structure, incentives, and representation are intentionally built with members’ interests at the forefront. Together, they promote fairness, transparency, and accountability in the data marketplace. Here are a few things My Data Union offers you.

A trusted, transparent intermediary

Modern companies that collect consumer data are allergic to simplicity and clarity because their business models conflict with the best interests of their users. They rely on obfuscation and deception to convince people not to notice. When users do occasionally notice, their information lack of organization and leverage makes it easy to ignore. My Data Union’s purpose is clear: it exists to represent its collective of members in the marketplace. Its financial incentives are aligned with members’ so both parties mutually benefit when members prosper.

Data buyers rarely buy directly from individual consumers; they need data aggregators to collect data from large groups before it becomes valuable. Traditional data aggregators know this and disguise their motives with “free” or discounted services to give the illusion of consent to deeply drill their users for data. Below are recognizable images that show how your consent is manufactured.

People need a better way to participate. Organizing with a deliberately chosen intermediary allows them to negotiate for fair treatment and access the data market. My Data Union takes the opposite approach of traditional data aggregators. It serves transparently so members know what other companies take from them and how much it is worth. Members choose what to do with their information. If they would like to sell it, My Data Union provides methods to do it safely and anonymously. Once data is sent to My Data Union, it is added to a pool with other members, qualified buyers are found, and payment is returned to members after a sale. There is no confusion about the relationship; members offer data voluntarily, and buyers purchase it through an intermediary that represents its members. The clarity not only builds trust with members but also raises the overall quality of data in the market. When members can trust that their property will not be feasted on by vultures, they are encouraged to provide more unique, comprehensive, and timely datasets about themselves that no other company can offer. It is a win-win solution for consumers and data buyers alike.

Reliable trade execution

Financial incentives are aligned so My Data Union benefits not at the expense of its members but alongside them. My Data Union earns a commission each time it finds a buyer for the pooled data. The higher the price My Data Union negotiates, the larger the compensation for members and My Data Union alike. That alignment motivates members to contribute data they are comfortable offering and pushes My Data Union to search for the best opportunities on members’ behalf. My Data Union must constantly explore new markets, monitor price trends, and identify unique data combinations that command premium prices. In this system, success is mutual and transparent.

Internal representation keeps members in control. Like any other property they own, members choose when to participate or withdraw entirely. My Data Union provides clear, accessible dashboards and reports showing what data was sold and at what price. Sharing data happens on a spectrum; members must decide their level of participation for themselves. By combining transparency, consent, and fair compensation, My Data Union helps members transform the data marketplace into what it should have been all along – a voluntary, equitable exchange.

Data protection

My Data Union’s structure is built to protect members from conflicts of interest. While My Data Union’s financial incentives align closely with its members’, tension can arise if My Data Union wants to sell more data than its members wish to provide. To guard against this, My Data Union was established as a Public Benefit Corporation – a legal entity that requires the company to balance its profit motives with its founding principles[1]. One of its principles [About] affirms that members are the rightful owners of their digital property and must retain full autonomy over it. In practice, that means tools offered by My Data Union collect data locally and securely store it on members’ devices by default. Members can review, edit, or delete their logs before offering data to the pool. My Data Union cannot access or sell anything without members’ explicit consent. This structural safeguard ensures that My Data Union’s business success never comes at the expense of its members’ rights.

Representation goes beyond individual control. People’s interests need to be apparent while terms of service agreements are created for the services they use. For its part, My Data Union engages with companies directly to help draft contracts, advocates for equitable conditions, and monitors whether agreements are honored or changed. To reinforce internal accountability to its members, My Data Union’s board of directors includes a member-elected representative, ensuring that members’ voices shape every major decision. Combined with its Public Benefit Corporation charter, this structure ensures that members’ interests are not just ideologically represented but built into My Data Union’s legal foundation.

My Data Union’s incentives are designed to make privacy profitable. Like any scarce commodity, data that is well managed increases in value. Members who practice good data hygiene create exclusivity and My Data Union negotiates with buyers to pay more for data they cannot get anywhere else. This dynamic encourages My Data Union to provide effective privacy tools and education, empowering members to protect their data and increase its market value at the same time.

Organize with My Data Union

The market’s demand for consumer data has never been greater and is increasing at a rapid pace. Consumers produce fuel for the digital economy with their data, but they are systematically separated from their property, unable to benefit or control its use. The companies pilfering people’s property and choice for their own gain will never proactively change something that disproportionately benefits them. Consumers must lead the charge to reform a broken system, and they can do it through a collective that represents and is aligned with their best interests. Join My Data Union and make your data work for you.

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benefit_corporation

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