The U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy released "Innovating the Data Ecosystem: An Update of The Federal Big Data Research and Development Strategic Plan" in November 2024 to enhance the nation’s big data research and development capabilities. The updated plan outlines six strategic areas: improving data reusability and integrity, fostering user-driven data science, strengthening federated ecosystems, prioritizing privacy and ethics, developing diverse talent, and advancing U.S. global leadership. It emphasizes an adaptive data ecosystem spanning the entire data lifecycle, aligned with FAIR and CARE principles, to enable innovation, responsible data sharing, and AI-readiness. The plan highlights the need for robust governance, privacy-preserving technologies, and international and cross-sector collaborations to ensure the U.S. remains a leader in leveraging big data for societal and scientific progress
The State of Open Data Policy Repository
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Country of origin: United States of America
Resource status: enacted
Country of origin: United Nations
Resource status: enacted
Signapore and South Korea signed a Digital Economy Agreement that supports the release of Open Government Information and collaboration related to Data Innovation. This includes data sharing projects, the development of policies and standards for data portability, and sharing best practice approaches to data innovation
Country of origin: Singapore, South Korea
Resource status: enacted
The UK and Ukraine signed a Digital Trade Agreement that supports the release of Open Government Information and collaboration related to Data Innovation. This includes data sharing projects, the development of policies and standards for data portability, and sharing best practice approaches to data trusts
Country of origin: United Kingdom, Ukraine
Resource status: enacted
The German Bundestag passed the "Gesundheitsdatennutzungsgesetz" (GDNG) on March 22, 2024, aimed at improving the use of health data for public welfare-oriented research and the data-based development of the healthcare system. This law regulates the processing of health data for research, healthcare improvement, and other public interest purposes. It establishes a central data access and coordination office within the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices to support and advise users on accessing health data. The GDNG also introduces measures to enhance data protection, ensure transparency, and promote the secondary use of health data. It mandates the establishment of a public metadata catalog, an application register, and a secure processing environment for linking and processing pseudonymized health data from various sources.
Country of origin: Germany
Resource status: enacted
The New Zealand Government is introducing the Customer and Product Data Bill to establish a Consumer Data Right, empowering individuals and businesses with greater control over their data. Initially targeting the banking and electricity sectors, this legislation allows customers to securely access and share their data with accredited third parties. By standardizing data exchange and ensuring security, the bill aims to unlock the full potential of customer data, enabling the creation of innovative, data-driven products and services.
Country of origin: New Zealand
Resource status: introduced
The Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) is an international treaty aimed at facilitating digital trade and cooperation among New Zealand, Singapore, Chile, and, as of May 2024, South Korea. DEPA establishes common frameworks and standards for aspects of the digital economy such as data governance, digital identities, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce. Article 9.4 of DEPA, on Data Innovation, emphasizes the importance of cross-border data flows and data sharing for data-driven innovation. It recognizes the role of regulatory data sandboxes for sharing data, promotes data sharing mechanisms, and commit the parties to collaborating on data-sharing projects and mechanisms. Article 9.5 supports open government data.
Country of origin: Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea
Resource status: enacted
The European Parliament and the Council reached a political agreement on the Commission proposal for the European Health Data Space (EHDS) in April 2024. The EHDS aims to empower citizens by granting them control over their health data and facilitating health data use for research under strict conditions across the EU. This initiative will provide citizens with immediate access to their digital health data anywhere in the EU, improving patient care and decision-making. The provisional agreement still needs to be formally approved by the Council.
Country of origin: European Union
Resource status: introduced
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has introduced the "Forschungsdatengesetz" (FDG). The act's primary goals are to establish a micro data center, simplify and expand access to public sector data, create linking options, and make data protection more research-friendly. It also aims to improve the findability of research data by mandating public research institutions to create metadata catalogues based on standardized metadata. These catalogues will be integrated into a central search platform to promote and network research collaborations. The FDG will regulate researchers' access rights to various types of public data and establish a one-stop shop with remote access capabilities for researchers. The cabinet will discuss the FDG in the last quarter of 2024..