Data Monopoly

In the era of data-driven machine learning, rapid digitalization across all sectors has triggered an unprecedented explosion in data volume. Massive datasets, processed by algorithms such as machine learning, generate substantial societal value but also give rise to pressing data-ethical challenges. Alongside well-documented privacy concerns, the issue of data monopolization is equally critical. This term refers to the concentration of vast amounts of data in the hands of a small number of dominant “data oligarchs.” Research shows that between 2018 and 2020, the top 10% of data collectors amassed 99% of all data. Such concentration erects barriers to competition, undermines consumer welfare, increases risks to information security and personal privacy, and stifles technological innovation. Addressing and regulating data monopolization is therefore both essential and urgent.