Competitive Advantage and Personal Data Ecosystems: A Typology of Personal Data Control Constellations

Abstract

This research investigates data providers’ willingness to grant data access control to data subjects in user-centric Personal Data Ecosystems (PDEs), where individuals control their data disclosure. PDEs introduce unique challenges, as data subjects may share competitive data with rival companies, which is not addressed by existing frameworks on data sharing between businesses grounded in resource-based theory (RBT). Through 25 interviews with private sector actors in the Flemish Social Linked Data (Solid) ecosystem triangulated with 56 papers from the existing literature, a typology of strategies for data access control was developed. This typology is based on two key dimensions, data competitiveness and actor relationships, creating four strategic scenarios that guide whether data providers are likely to grant data access control. The findings offer a framework for PDE governance, helping stakeholders to develop strategies enabling data availability and ensure the long-term sustainability of PDEs.