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Fines of up to EUR 20 million or 4% of global turnover, an extraterritorial reach, and a customer who is suddenly the owner of “their” usage data. The EU Data Act changes how connected products generate, store and share data.
This whitepaper translates the core articles of the Data Act into concrete fields of action from the question “Do we truly know our data?” through secure data provision to access by design in product development. Including a readiness self-assessment.
Why “data ownership” no longer belongs to you alone.
Companies have long recognised the strategic value of data. With the EU Data Act, the EU draws a consequence from this: data generated by connected products should be shared fairly and no longer monopolised. Unlike the GDPR, which protects personal data, the Data Act addresses all raw data generated through the use of connected products and related services including non-personal data.
The core shift: the customer of a connected product is regarded as the owner of the data generated through its use. They decide whether and with whom it is shared between businesses, between businesses and consumers, and towards public-sector bodies.
Three questions every leadership team must now answer
- Applicability: Does the Data Act apply to our business, and what specific obligations does it create?
- Access rights: Which data must be made accessible, and who may request it?
- Protection: How do we protect sensitive data and trade secrets when sharing?
Data is no longer an internal by-product but a strategic resource — within and beyond the organisation.
Why “waiting” is the most expensive option
The reflex to wait until the next deadline underestimates two things. First, the sanctions: infringements carry fines of up to EUR 20 million or 4% of global annual turnover. Second, the lead times: particularly for products with long development cycles such as vehicles access by design must be embedded well before Article 3 takes effect.
What is usually missing is rarely technology. It is clarity: a complete data inventory, unambiguous data ownership and a robust metadata description.