Conclusion

We hope this report lays a foundation for delving deeper into what issues need to be assessed in order to create a global data governance framework. It is meant as a starting point that provides analysis of the current landscape and debates surrounding data governance. As a next step, we recommend a comprehensive study focused on the following research questions:

• Starting points—what are the current geopolitical views, technical realities, historical foundations, and cultural perspectives with which different countries are approaching questions of data governance?
• Privacy and cybersecurity—how are these concepts defined and how do they relate to one another in existing data governance regimes in different countries, and will they become increasingly inseparable in data regulations in the future?
• Interoperability—is it possible, technically and legally, for different countries’ data governance regimes to be somewhat compatible to maintain some data flow interoperability, and if so, should this interoperability be coordinated through bilateral arrangements, multilateral arrangements, or international bodies?
• Coalitions—should certain countries be deliberately included or excluded in coalitions of countries who agree to design interoperable data governance regimes to ensure relatively free data flows, and if so, what are the implications of these decisions?
• Processes and institutions—where and how should global data governance regimes be developed and implemented in coordination (or perhaps in conflict) with one another, from multilateral talks and treaties to bodies like the WTO?

In examining all of these issues, a possible conclusion might be that data (specifically certain types of data) should only flow freely among or within certain coalitions of countries. And if we assume that not all data should be treated as equal, then different coalitions may be formed for different types of data.

The governance of data flows has always been captured, to varying extents, in conversations about internet governance writ large, but governing data flows will become greatly more important over the next several years as technologies like the IoT, 5G telecommunications, and machine learning/artificial intelligence continue to be researched, developed, and more widely and deeply deployed in various facets of life all around the world. These technologies generate/collect large volumes of data and/or are underpinned by data, such as with wearable IoT devices tracking biometric information or facial recognition systems needing large datasets to function precisely and accurately. Among the many questions raised by this technological explosion will be governing data in ways that balance concerns and issues at play, including consumer privacy, technological innovation, economic growth, content moderation, and law enforcement access to data.