Data governance
Data governance is an organizational and legal framework defining how companies collect, store, clean, share, and use data. In an era of Internet and AI, data is gold—valuable but requiring responsible use. Data governance are “rules” for handling that gold.
Key data governance components: (1) Data collection—which data is collected, from whom, with permission or without? (2) Data storage—where is data stored, how long, with what security? (3) Data cleaning—how are old or inaccurate data deleted? (4) Data sharing—with whom can data be shared and under what conditions? (5) Data usage—what is data used for, with permission or without?
This directly connects to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), an EU law regulating personal data treatment. Under GDPR, every person has the right to:
- Know if their personal data is collected
- Know what is done with their data
- If unwilling for data use, can say “no” (opt-out)
- Request data deletion (“right to be forgotten”)
- Get a copy of their data
For startups with EU users, GDPR is mandatory. This means you should:
- Request explicit consent before collecting data
- Store data with encryption
- Have a plan for data deletion
- Document all procedures