DECODE
A European project for the release of data by citizens.
Individuals should be able to decide not just on the use of their data and digital identity, but also on the data they wish to keep private or share and under what terms. Barcelona is placing new emphasis on the use of data, the City Data Commons, which is a large social pact to guarantee sovereignty and privacy.
Data can be used to adopt better decisions more quickly and more democratically, to promote innovation, improve public services and empower people. The aim of the European project DECODE (Decentralised Citizen Owned Data Ecosystem) is to develop decentralised technologies (such as blockchain and cryptography) to give people greater control over their data.
Barcelona considers data to be part of the public infrastructure, alongside communication services, electricity, water and clean air. But city residents must also be active in this process and establish the level of anonymity they would like, so that they cannot be identified without express consent having been given. This common data infrastructure will be open to local businesses, cooperatives and social organisations so that they can provide data-focused services and create long-term value for the public. DECODE's pilot project, Digital Democracy and Data Commons, is designed to imagine more democratic forms of data governance that respect people's privacy. You can see the results on BCNNow, a viewer developed by the Eurocat team.
Another example is the Citizen Science Data Governance pilot project, which uses environmental sensors, located inside and outside the homes of participants, to detect noise and pollution levels. DECODE technology allows data to be coded and shared anonymously. Finally, Smart Citizen is a platform that connects data, people and knowledge, creating open
