Unlike traditional seminars, our global seminar series brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to help us bridge theory and real-world application. The goal? To explore practical ways to empower digital citizens and create humane markets that drive innovation while respecting individual rights.

We are committed to giving digital citizens a say in how things should work online.

Fostering a fair data and digital economy, fairsfair leverages legal principles to enable individuals, businesses and authorities to easily manage data, catering to the outcomes they want, while neither compromising on privacy nor convenience. fairsfair.io is a neutral data intermediation service, registered by the EU. The decentralised ‘transaction broker’ is a plug-and-play API, establishing interoperability and compliance. Multiple organisations can collaborate on value adding services offered to natural persons and amongst legal entities. Referral to fairsfair.org certified decentralised transaction brokers in tenders enables authorities to ensure their citizens with full control over data and identity, and assuring a level playing field for market actors, pro-actively.

Human-Centric Data in Mobility: Turning Vision Into Practice

Rethinking Mobility Systems Through Data Interoperability

Mobility systems such as buses, trains, and shared bikes often operate in silos, each with its own digital infrastructure and data protocols. This fragmentation creates barriers for users who want seamless travel across different modes of transport. Interoperability remains a persistent challenge, as platforms and operators typically digitise their processes independently, resulting in incompatible architectures and limited data sharing.

A human-centric approach to mobility data leverages compliance frameworks like GDPR and the Data Governance Act to enable secure, consent-based data sharing. This model ensures that only the necessary information is exchanged for a specific transaction, such as validating a ticket or processing a payment. By focusing on the context of each activity, systems can empower individuals while maintaining privacy and regulatory compliance.

The Transaction Broker Model: Data Without Centralisation

Traditional digital platforms often centralise user data, creating dependencies and potential privacy risks. In contrast, fairsfair.io manages interactions between transport operators and passengers without storing or accessing personal data. Each transaction, whether it’s a bus ride, train journey, or taxi trip, is treated as a temporary relationship. Entitlements and the associated data expire together, minimising unnecessary data retention.

This approach allows users to remain anonymous to third parties while still providing operators with the information needed to deliver services. For example, a passenger can validate a ticket or make a payment without revealing their full identity to every service provider involved in their journey. The system communicates only the state of completed activities, ensuring that data flows back to the relevant parties without exposing sensitive details.

Business Models Built on Trust and Efficiency

A sustainable business model for human-centric mobility data relies on high transaction volumes and low per-transaction costs. Public transport markets, such as those in the Netherlands, process millions of transactions daily. By focusing on facilitating these transactions rather than reselling tickets or accumulating user data, platforms can reduce costs for both operators and users.

Digital wallets and fiduciary roles further enhance user control. Individuals can collect and manage their own transaction histories, choosing when and how to share data for specific purposes. This model supports value-added services, such as expense tracking for work-related travel or sharing medical data with healthcare providers, all while keeping ownership and control in the hands of the user.

The Path Forward: Empowerment Through Information Management

Information management should serve individuals and society, not just corporate interests. By prioritising interoperability, privacy, and user control, mobility systems can become more accessible, efficient, and trustworthy. The transaction broker model demonstrates that it is possible to deliver seamless services without compromising on privacy or convenience. Sustainable digital economies depend on trust, transparency, and the empowerment of individuals to control their own data.