As the rise of social media and search engines is increasing concerns over the ownership of personal data, co-operatives have the opportunity to help members control the information they share.
This was one of the topics discussed at the National Retail Consumer Conference (NRCC) in Stratford, UK, where delegates received advice from an industry expert on how to use data in ways that are led by customers and members.
William Heath, an entrepreneur active in personal data and digital rights, talked about the role retail co-operatives could play in empowering members by giving individuals personal control of personal data. Mr Heath is chair of Mydex Community Interest Company, a social enterprise that provides a range of services to help people to capture and manage their personal data, analyse it and share in a fully permissions and controlled manner.
He argues that giving members control over their personal data would benefit not only individuals, but also co-ops, which could update the data they have and move to a more personalised marketing, based on trust on both sides. Data can help determine the different patterns of shopping, particularly with the strong growth of online shopping.
By using Mydex’s platform, individuals would be able to submit data and get data back as well. They would have personal data stores, which they could choose to connect to governmental associations or shops. With permissioned data from personal data stores, co-ops could update the data they have on members as well as creating digital letterboxes and save costs. They could also create “alert me when” type of offers.
“Personal control of personal data as opposed to global present norm of organisations’ control big data is good for everyone”, said Mr Heath, adding that this could help organisations save money, improve relations with customers and provide better services.
The International Co-operative Alliance is also giving members more control over what data they share by enabling them to edit their one contact data through an online member directory.
Alliance President, Dame Pauline Green, took part in the NRCC conference in Stratford. Referring to Mr Heath’s presentation, she said:
“If implemented, his product would allow co-operatives to build on their respect for the individual and their rights, by putting decisions about their personal information dispersal in their hands and and not have it controlled by commercial or multinational businesses. It was inspirational - a profound message delivered with real humour.”
Secretary general of Co-operatives UK, Ed Mayo, also said: “We are committed to this idea of membership and expect people to understand it. In the old days people must have thought about it as dividend, now as a card, but people need to be able to connect and think about membership in a different way and data could be a way to do that.”
Mydex Community Interest Company is not the only enterprise working to help people manage their personal data. The world’s first data co-operative service, TheGoodData, has been launched in November last year. The co-op aims to raise awareness amongst consumers that their data has a value that they can use to support good causes, whilst enhancing the security of their own online activities.
TheGoodData software blocks requests from the invisible tracking sites so they do not know what people have done online. If users give their consent, TheGoodData can trade a small part of personal data anonymously. Half of this money collected is given to developing countries. The other part of the funding will be used to pay for operations at TheGoodData, which is fully owned by its users.
Marcos Menendez, Director of TheGoodData explains: “This is an issue of owning your personal data. Fundamentally, nobody should have access to your data without consent or be able to make money from this in exchange of nothing for you.” TheGoodData has now 400 users and 50 members and is working on building more features around the data collected. "We want to help our members better understand how are they perceived by advertisers based on the browsing habits," added Mr Menendez.
Photo: William Heath delivering his presentation at the NRCC (c) Co-operatives UK
