Change the Data Model

Building a trusted product starts with changing how you define and manage your data. Typically, databases are set up such that, functionally, whoever manages the database is the owner of the data. They control how that data is added, modified, and shared.

From a business perspective, this may seem like the most logical way to execute a master data management strategy. After all, you want to make sure your data is accurate and that only authorized people have access to it.

But when you’re dealing with sensitive customer or patient data, this control-based model is no longer adequate. Instead, you need to switch to a distributed data network.

Distributed data networks (such as LifeGraph) change this paradigm. In a distributed model, ownership of the data is separate from the management of the database. In a distributed data model, a company can provide its users with direct ownership of their data – not just cursory control of it. This is an essential first step in building a trusted product and a trusted relationship.

Rethink Governance

Once the data model and metadata are defined to provide people with true ownership of their data, your next step is to rethink your data governance processes.

Data governance is the process of managing how data is structured, accessed, modified, shared, and deleted. It controls data access across your internal subsystems and with external partners and vendors.

Consent is the most individual form of governance. It’s what puts people in the driver’s seat so they can define where their sensitive information is shared and with whom. At BurstIQ, we strongly believe consent should be a foundational element of your data governance model, not simply a feature in your application.

Understanding how to comply with regulatory requirements that apply to your business is critical. Regulations vary based on your product, where your customers (and their data) are located, and the type of data you are managing.

It is equally important to understand the broader context that will contribute to (or detract from) your ability to build trust with your customers. Here are some questions that can help you build a data governance model that respects people’s data dignity.

Who actually created this data? Did my company create it, did my enterprise customers create it, or did individual people create it as they used my products or services? This helps you understand who the data owner is.

What value do people get in exchange for giving my company (or my partners) permission to use their data? Is that value enough for them to want to share? Asking this question helps you change your mindset and start seeing people’s data as an asset they own. In this data governance framework, you need to provide people with enough value that they want to share data. That might be financial, but it could also be deeper personalization of your services, incentives or rewards, or other value.

And lastly, use the Golden Rule. If a company were to share my data without my consent in the way our company wants to share people’s data, how would I react? Would I be happy or angry?

Design to Show Proof

Once you have established a data model and governance structure that prioritizes people’s data dignity, you have the foundation to build products that don’t just pay lip service to trust, they prove it. Now you have the ability to infuse trust throughout your user experience.

As you work through your product design, you should be thoughtful about where you can show proof that people’s data privacy and rights are being enforced.

Offer an interface that allows people to see exactly who has access to their data based on their privacy settings – and let them change it.

Consider showing the underlying data governance in a user-friendly way so people can interact directly with their own data and permissions. Give them tools to prove for themselves that data privacy is being enforced. A user experience designed to elicit trust will reflect positively on your reputation as a trustworthy company.

Communicate Differently

Lastly, building trust means changing how you communicate with people. This applies to how you communicate within your products as well as your broader corporate communications. Trust, and being able to provide proof that your product doesn’t just talk the talk, is truly is a competitive differentiator.

As a starting point, recognize that in a distributed Web3 world, human data belongs not to the company, but to the humans who created it. Acknowledging that your company supports Web3 principles in your communications will go a long way towards building trust. It will also help you stand out in a market where everyone claims they are trustworthy without actually showing how they earn customer trust.

Finally, let customers know you have something valuable to offer in exchange for access to their data — it’s a mutually beneficial relationship. This may come in the form of personalized services, the opportunity to participate in medical research, better coordination between services, reductions to their insurance premiums, or the like. Defining and communicating this value is critical to gaining people’s trust – and their willingness to give you access to their data. If you can demonstrate what they get in return, your customers will be more willing to share their data with you.