Who Owns Web3’s Data? 7 Questions for the Community

Inspired by an article from Geoffrey Richards (Ontology’s Head of Community), let’s pressure-test our assumptions about data, identity, and reputation in Web3 👉 LinkedIn

Geoff’s EthCC reflections spotlight a creeping habit: treating user data as a private moat. If Web3 is about user ownership, we need to design like we mean it — starting with decentralized identity and consented, privacy-preserving reputation.

7 questions for the community

1. Moats vs. Markets: If your competitive edge depends on locking in user data, are you building Web3 — or rebuilding Web2 with tokens?
2. Consent by Design: Where — and how — do users grant, view, and revoke consent for every data use?
3. Portability: Can users take their identity and reputation to another app today without losing status or access?
4. Proofs, Not Dumps: Which flows can switch from raw data sharing to zero-knowledge proofs (prove X without revealing Y)?
5. Agent-Age Identity: As AI agents arrive, what’s your plan for agent identity that’s transparently tied to a real user’s intent and permissions? LinkedIn
6. Value Share: If data creates value (better matching, lower fraud), how do users capture a fair share?
7. Exit Rights: What’s the one-click path for users to export, delete, or re-permission their footprint?

If we wouldn’t be proud to explain our data model to users, it’s the wrong model. Read Geoff’s original article and tell us how you’d implement user-owned identity and reputation in your corner of Web3. 👉LinkedIn

Who Owns Web3’s Data? 7 Questions for the Community was originally published in OntologyNetwork on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.