Data Track Tool

What the tool offers

The Data Track (DT) is a tool for end-users (data subjects) that provides answers to two pressing questions: “what information have I sent to which online service?” and “What information do online services have about me now?”. DT connects to online services, on behalf of a user, and requests access to all data stored in the service for the user. DT then provides a number of playful visualizations of all data. The user can also request that data is corrected or deleted services-side from within the DT tool.

The tool innovation

DT gives users insight into who knows what about them online through several easy-to-use interfaces. Users are also empowered online, by enabling them to exercise their rights online to access, correct, and request deletion of their personal data at online services. Today, users access these rights using analog tools often in the form of pen and paper. DT takes these rights online.

Raising impact

Primarily, DT may influence service providers to allow data subjects to exercise their rights wrt. their personal data online. The basic API needed by DT at service providers can serve as a foundation for future work on standardizing such an API for data subject access. Secondary effects include an increased awareness among users of online services of both the vast amount of personal data collected about them and that it’s not unreasonable to expect to influence the collection and processing of their personal data.