Usable Implementation of Data Sovereignty in Digital Ecosystems

Products and services are increasingly being offered in so-called "digital ecosystems", where the processing of sensitive data plays a major role. In such ecosystems, the aim should always be to offer "data providers" (e.g., companies or consumers of goods and services) transparency and control over the processing of their data. This concept is called "data sovereignty." However, it is extremely challenging to present complex processes, data flows and protective measures to users in an understandable and comprehensible way. Furthermore, it is important to make users aware of the consequences of their choices when it comes to settings and consent - without influencing them inappropriately. However, users of digital ecosystems are very heterogeneous in their needs and abilities. For appropriate transparency (e.g., user-friendly privacy statements, uniform icons, traceable data flows) and self-determination measures (e.g., end-to-end consent management), these needs, abilities and some fundamental limitations must be considered. With this paper, we discuss how ecosystem providers and participants can implement data sovereignty in a user-friendly way. We extend the human-centred design process to include data sovereignty aspects and show how data usage control can help to technically implement user needs.