User Ownership and Control of Data with Distributed Ledger

Abstract

Distributed Ledger (blockchain) technology provides an alternative for distributed databases. It creates a secure and immutable record of data transactions, thus tracking how data are shared and accessed. The access and operations on data can be regulated via "smart contracts" that allows setting conditions for accessing the data - by whom, for what purpose, for how long, under what conditions, whether access is granted to the original data or just a query /derivative data. In addition, users can benefit from sharing their data by using "smart contracts" that regulate sharing for monetary reward, or for another form of recognition. Both user profile data and user-owned data can be shared in this way, empowering users to benefit from their data, under their own conditions, rather than surrendering it to centralized services. The tutorial will present the basics of distributed ledger technology and smart contracts and will train the participants in using a privacy-preserving user data-sharing framework.