Europe Positioned to Lead on Big Data, Officials, Academic Say

Europe "can seize world leadership" in the free flow of data because of its general data protection regulation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology data scientist Alex Pentland said at a Monday conference in Tallinn, Estonia, webcast by the Estonian EU Presidency. Europe is farthest along among developed economies in talking about what it wants a data economy to look like, he said. Once the question of what data individuals own is answered through the EU General Data Protection Regulation, policymakers can decide what information other stakeholders, such as governments and businesses, own, Pentland said. National government and European Commission officials said they have concerns.

The Estonian presidency of the EC is "actively focused" on creating a digital single market in the EU, but that can't be built without a special emphasis on the free movement of data among members, the presidency said. Free data movement "should be the fifth freedom next to the already established freedoms of European citizens," it said.

Government officials said they're optimistic about the future of big data but there are obstacles. Policymakers must speed up decision-making, concentrate on investment and build the infrastructure needed, said German State Secretary Matthias Machnig of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. There should be more harmonized solutions, said Member of the European Parliament Michal Boni, of the European People's Party and Poland. Big data will have a use, but "we have a long way to go" in regulating it, said Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Koprivnikar.

Asked whether Europe is losing to the U.S. on big data, Machnig said the digital economy "is more than a platform economy." In Europe, "industry 4.0 is far ahead" of the U.S., he said. One thing governments should do to help is data-mapping, making use, reuse and sharing of information more effective, said Koprivnikar. Administrations must ensure competition rules create a level playing field between old and new business models, and that platforms don't become monopolies, said Machnig.

It's "vitally important" for Europe to remove restrictions on data flows and end data localization, said Digital Economy and Society Commissioner Mariya Gabriel. The EC backs an open approach that ensures that the most innovative services are available in Europe while safeguarding privacy and data protection rights, she said. The EC believes it should regulate to provide legal clarity on how data fits with other EU freedoms and how to achieve data portability, among other things, said Directorate-General Communications Networks, Content and Technology Deputy Director General Claire Bury. But Corinna Schulze, SAP EU government relations director, said that before imposing more rules, the EC should provide proof of existing obstacles and an explanation of why current laws can't address them.