Data produced by people should be available to the people. Good healthcare, scientific research for better health, development of medication, health products and medical technologies, good practices, are based on the usage of shared data and knowledge.
Health insurance is historically based on the fact that people put money in a box, a cash register, and people can take money from that cash register when they are ill. We have generalised this to our current health insurance, which is based on solidarity, people pay contributions and taxes, which can then be used by everyone when and where necessary.
Actually, the same principles apply for data solidarity, meaning data produced by people should be available to the people. Just as all citizens contribute to the healthcare system through taxes, so too should data be shared for the common good. Data solidarity foregrounds the public value when it benefits people and communities without the risk of invading citizens’ direct privacy.
