Data sovereignty: A review
Open accessAbstract
New data-driven technologies yield benefits and potentials, but also confront different agents and stakeholders with challenges in retaining control over their data. Our goal in this study is to arrive at a clear picture of what is meant by data sovereignty in such problem settings. To this end, we review 341 publications and analyze the frequency of different notions such as data sovereignty, digital sovereignty, and cyber sovereignty. We go on to map agents they concern, in which context they appear, and which values they allude to. While our sample reveals a considerable degree of divergence and an occasional lack of clarity about intended meanings of data sovereignty, we propose a conceptual grid to systematize different dimensions and connotations. Each of them relates in some way to meaningful control, ownership, and other claims to data articulated by a variety of agents ranging from individuals to countries. Data sovereignty alludes to a nuanced mixture of normative concepts such as inclusive deliberation and recognition of the fundamental rights of data subjects.
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Human Value Alignment concentrates on harmonizing AI models with human ethics and values to ensure decisions and actions mirror societal norms and ethical standards, involving integration of ethical decision-making and adaptation of AI outputs to conform with human moral values.
“This emerging aspect concentrates on harmonizing AI models with human ethics and values to ensure that their decisions and actions mirror societal norms and ethical standards, involving the integration of ethical decision-making processes and the adaptation of AI outputs to conform with human moral values [265], [89], [266].”
From From Google Gemini to OpenAI Q* (Q-Star): A Survey on Reshaping the Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) Research Landscape (2025) · cites this paper as [265]
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Sorted by citations
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- Authors
- Hummel, P., Braun, M., Tretter, M., & Dabrock, P.
- Affiliations
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Hummel, Patrik
- Venue
- Big Data & Society
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2021-01
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 1
- ISSN
- 2053-9517 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3124662721
- Cited by
- 422
- References
- 61
- Citations by year
- 2026: 105 · 2025: 101 · 2024: 73 · 2023: 63 · 2022: 58 · 2021: 22
- FWCI
- 352.08
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Big Data & Society (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- OPUS FAU (Kooperativer Bibliotheksverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (KOBV), on behalf of the Universitätsbibliothek Erlangen-Nürnberg) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Bundesministerium für Gesundheit ((ZMV/1–2517 FSB 013))
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung ((01GP1905B))
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Law › Digitalization, Law, and Regulation
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Security, Politics, and Digital Transformation
- Keywords
- data sovereignty, digital sovereignty, cyber sovereignty, data ownership, data control, data subject rights, stakeholder perspectives, data governance, inclusive deliberation
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