From Data Leverage to Data Co-Ops: An Institutional Model for User Control over Information Access

TL;DR

This paper introduces an institutional model called data co-ops that empowers users to control their information access by coordinating collective actions and utilizing systems like PURE and PURESearch for resource evaluation and search result re-ranking.

Contribution

It proposes a novel institutional framework for user control over data access, including the design of PURE and PURESearch systems for resource labeling and search result customization.

Findings

PURE enables labeling of internet resources by untrusted parties.

PURESearch re-ranks search results based on user-controlled labels.

The model facilitates collective user influence over data practices.

Abstract

Internet companies derive value from users by recording and influencing their behavior. Users can pressure companies to refrain from certain invasive and manipulative practices by selectively withdrawing their attention, an exercise of data leverage as formulated by Vincent et al. Ligett and Nissim's proposal for an institution representing the interests of users, the data co-op, offers a means of coordinating this action. We present one possible instantiation of the data co-op, including the Platform for Untrusted Resource Evaluation (PURE), a system for assigning labels provided by untrusted and semi-trusted parties to Internet resources. We also describe PURESearch, a client program that re-ranks search results according to labels provided by data co-ops and other sources.