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Response to the UK Government Call for Evidence on Data Intermediaries

Summary

This response, submitted by researchers at the University of Southampton and the Web Science Institute, draws on the development of the Roberta Data Trust—an emerging model for ethical data stewardship in health research. It argues that intermediaries like Roberta can help individuals exercise their data rights meaningfully, by combining transparent consent, participatory governance, and secure infrastructure. The submission highlights legal and technical barriers to data intermediation in the UK, including fragmented systems, low public trust, and lack of clear regulation.

The authors call for government action to support trusted data intermediaries through legal recognition, certification schemes, and inclusive public engagement. They also recommend learning from international models such as MIDATA (Switzerland), Findata (Finland), and MyData (Finland), which successfully blend technical capability with user-led governance. Without such frameworks, the UK risks leaving individuals without effective means to manage their data, particularly in sensitive domains like healthcare.