The fight for our personal data: analyzing the economics of data and privacy on digital platforms

Purpose Personal data is a powerful tool. The more someone know about us, the more power they got over us. But who will control the most of our personal data? Does the government and the big tech really care about our personal data? This paper aims to look at data practices, data-related policy making as well as its economic consequences in the context of emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach Using qualitative methods such as literature review and analysis of numerous government documents, this paper inquires into the dynamics in the use of data by the business sectors, explains how data governance can add value to the business sectors while ensuring customers’ data privacy protection based on the data governance mechanism framework and details what it takes. Findings Using the case of Indonesian recent development on data privacy regulation, this paper describes the problems and threats to personal data protection. The advent of latest computing and mobile technology is shifting power relations between the governments, the big tech, as well as the end users. To conclude, the strategy and policy recommendations for implementing data privacy protection are also presented. Originality/value This paper provides a timely synthesis of data practices in the context of developing countries, particularly in relation to policy making and economic consequences. This paper also identifies and shares several promising future research ideas.