by Hope Anderson, Clara Hainsdorf, Tim Hickman, Dr. Sylvia Lorenz, and Jenna Rennie
Left to right: Hope Anderson, Clara Hainsdorf, Tim Hickman, Dr. Sylvia Lorenz, and Jenna Rennie (Photos courtesy of White & Case LLP)
On November 27, 2023, the European Union (“EU”) adopted the final text of the Data Act, marking an effort to create a harmonized, cross-sectoral data sharing framework with the stated goal of ensuring fair access to and use of data.
The Data Act is part of the European Data Strategy Package,[1] which aims for the EU to take a leading role in our networked world. Following the Data Governance Act,[2] which facilitates voluntary data sharing by businesses, individuals and the public sector, the Data Act is the second key piece of legislation aiming to make generated data more available for reuse. To that end, the Data Act seeks to maximize the value of data and to stimulate a competitive data market in which open opportunities for data-driven innovations make data more accessible for all.