Hey guys,
This is my third article on Datum, which has the novel vision of placing control of a person’s digital data firmly into their own hands- free to do with as they see fit and free from misuse by large companies. This is a mammoth task, of course, so will need to be backed by strong fundamentals if the project has a chance of achieving its goals- which we are about to analyse.
In my first article we explored the ‘who’ and ‘what’ of Datum- Namely, who are Datum? And what are they trying to accomplish?
The second answered the question: ‘why?’- Why is Datum necessary? And why blockchain?
In this third and final part, we will conclude our investigation into the Datum project by exploring the final missing piece: How? how is Datum actively carrying out their vision? How does their decentralised platform provide a solution to this currently troublesome situation?
Quick disclaimer: this project, like all I review, is relatively new to the scene and is still under development so please always do your own research. Also remember this is my opinion and not financial advice; my content is for educational and entertainment purposes only.
Let’s jump in.
THE INVESTIGATION SO FAR
So far on our journey to explore the Datum project we have discovered the who, what and why; Datum are a project determined to create an online environment in which users can be sure to have complete control over their own data, achieved through their decentralised data ecosystem. This has been made necessary by greedy corporations repeatedly showing they are not able to be trusted with our valuable information.
The most important central factor which came to light in the current situation is the lack of individual self-determination a person currently has over their data, and therefore over a significant element of their life. In this world, if you’re not completely sure that your data is locked away securely and fully privately (which is close to impossible with traditional systems) then you can be quite sure somebody is profiting from your activity.
This isn’t right, and Datum are looking to new technological possibilities in order to rectify the situation.
BLOCKCHAIN: SECURITY
The main problem which needs to be overcome if self-determination of data is to be achieved is that of verifiable data security. How does datum plan to achieve this? By their blockchain backbone.
When a user inputs a piece of data into the Datum ecosystem, it is automatically encrypted and distributed. This encryption means that only the data source, the user, can control how this data is used- and the transparency of the blockchain means that Datum is able to provide an accurate and reliable record of detailed access reports, which can be viewed by the user at any time through the Datum app.
Once encrypted and on the blockchain, the user has ultimate control over what happens to their data, and blockchain enabled smart contracts which the platform houses provide an impressively customisable user experience.
SMART CONTRACTS: FUNCTIONALITY
The spark which ignites the functioning of the Datum platform is the built-in smart contracts which make all of the impressive platform features possible. It’s these smart contracts which enforce the rules which a user sets for a specific piece of data, making sure that compliance with the user’s wishes is unavoidable if a party wishes to access that data (if the user has enabled them to do so).
Relating to any piece of their data, the data consumer themselves can specify whether or not to disclose the following:
IdentityGeneral Privacy PolicyUse of DataLifetime of DataDatum Network Trust Rating
Regarding data being requested by other parties, consumers can also specify the use of data, and the lifetime of that data if they wish. This innovative use of smart contracts to securely dictate data openness and terms of use is enabling a new level of self-determination over an asset (our valuable data) over which before we had next to none.
DATUM CLIENT: USABILITY
The truth is that people don’t want to use something which involves a complicated process, especially when it involves funds or important information- they just don’t trust themselves to not make a mistake, and people are generally too lazy to learn something new. If people are going to be encouraged to take matters of data control into their own hands in any serious way, it’s going to have to be a simple process.
This is where Datum’s client comes in; through the Datum app (available on a range of formats including Android and desktop), users have a clean and easy-to-use interface for all activities involved in the handling and use of their data, including:
Viewing DAT token holdingsAccessing an overview of stored dataDetailed access reportsPrivacy controls
This is exactly the type of ease of use we need to see if we are to expect mass adoption by the general public.
CONCLUSION
Datum are clearly motivated by the aim of helping to enhance the lives of ordinary people by enabling a higher degree of self-determination, and are looking to new innovative technological possibilities in order to do so.
Their blockchain based ecosystem allows users to store their data in a way which they can be sure is safe and secure, and the advanced features of the platform enable users the opportunity to exercise self-determination over all aspects of their data, from the storage itself to monetisation.
Datum’s focus on simple user interaction, through their creation of a simple to use yet powerful client, is impressive for its ability to encourage user participation. Datum are clearly aware of the current hurdles of user adoption and have designed their solution so that even the most tech adverse people can have exercise self-determination over their own data.
Seeing people work so hard to work towards a goal of providing a more beneficial user experience online is refreshing to see, and I wish Datum the best of luck in achieving their goals!
LINKS
Website: https://datum.org/
White paper: https://datum.org/assets/Datum-WhitePaper.pdf
Telegram: https://t.me/datumnetwork
My Bounty0x: datniccy97
My Bitcointalk account: datniccy97 -https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=2099905
