Data for Common Purpose: Leveraging Consent to Build Trust

The document argues that trust in data sharing has been eroded by data breaches and 'dark patterns', necessitating a shift toward an individual-empowering approach to consent. It introduces the Data for a Common Purpose Initiative (DCPI) Consent and Trust Framework, which is structured around three interconnected pillars: technology (reference architecture), policy (internal governance), and commercial (user interactions). The framework identifies 16 specific trust attributes categorized into four groups: data exchange accountability, data protection, individual understanding, and individual control. These attributes aim to ensure transparency, traceability, and user autonomy in data exchanges, moving away from 'surveillance capitalism' toward a model where individuals have granular control over their data.

• Trust in data sharing has declined due to unethical data practices and an increase in data breaches; for instance, the world saw 17% more data breaches in 2021 than in all four quarters of 2020.
• The document identifies 'dark patterns' as user interfaces designed to subvert user autonomy, such as burying data use terms in complex notices or making it difficult to withdraw consent.
• The DCPI Consent and Trust Framework is built on three pillars: technology, which focuses on intuitive reference architecture; policy, which covers internal governance rules; and commercial, which addresses user interaction points.
• The framework defines four primary trust attribute groups: data exchange accountability (tracking data movement), data protection (reducing risk for data at rest, in use, and in motion), individual understanding (educating users), and individual control (providing tools for informed choices).
• Within the technology pillar, the framework recommends the use of open APIs, open-source licenses, and standard libraries to avoid proprietary technology lock-ins.
• The framework identifies 16 specific attributes to improve trust, including traceability, auditability, impartiality, privacy, dynamism, minimization, transparency, clarity, consistency, standardization, interoperability, usability, accessibility, adoptability, and flexibility.

APA

World Economic Forum (2021). Data for Common Purpose: Leveraging Consent to Build Trust. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Data_for_Common_Purpose_Leveraging_Consent_to_Build_Trust_2021.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Data for Common Purpose: Leveraging Consent to Build Trust. 2021. https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Data_for_Common_Purpose_Leveraging_Consent_to_Build_Trust_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Data for Common Purpose: Leveraging Consent to Build Trust |date=November 2021 |url=https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Data_for_Common_Purpose_Leveraging_Consent_to_Build_Trust_2021.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2021data, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Data for Common Purpose: Leveraging Consent to Build Trust}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Data_for_Common_Purpose_Leveraging_Consent_to_Build_Trust_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }