NFTs and the Reversal of Extractive Datafication: Towards a Digital Sovereignty

Covid-19 has had a momentous impact on livelihoods around the world, intensifying antecedent hardships. Concurrently, major tech companies have continued to prosper, in many ways unchecked by the global crisis. The success of these companies is in no small part reliant on their ability to extract and commodify their users’ personal data without compensation. In this project, we plan to examine the precedents set by the recent growth in NFT trading and how this model might be applied to an expansive redistributive project based on the principles of fair compensation for personal data. We will also assess the utility of collective bargaining agreements and situate this study within the context of broader human rights priorities, recognising the immense urgency of socioeconomic stability and global solidarity in the post-pandemic world.