A definition of digital autonomy / data autonomy

As part of a workshop on data autonomy for the University of Groningen in May 2023, I proposed the following definition which has subsequently become widely used: Digital autonomy of the university: Digital autonomy is the effective capacity of the academic community to make meaningful decisions about access to data, data flows, the uses of data and the design of the informational environment, to the degree necessary to freely and independently pursue the university's mission, to promote knowledge dissemination and to protect the rights of its students and employees. This capacity is required to protect academic freedom and the independence of the university. While, at the time, a definition of digital autonomy related to universities was needed, this definition can be extended to cover other organizations and even individuals: Digital autonomy: Digital autonomy is the effective capacity of an organization, group or individual to make meaningful decisions about access to data, data flows, the uses of data and the design of the informational environment, to the degree necessary to freely and independently pursue the organizational goals or their individual purposes and to protect their rights, and – in the case of organization – the rights of their members.