Our connected objects have become the sensors of our daily lives - vehicles, industrial machinery, agricultural equipment and household appliances are constantly collecting a mass of information. Until now, most of this data has remained under the control of manufacturers. With the Data Act (EU regulation 2023/2854), the European Union is changing all that: now fully applicable since September 12, 2025, this text marks a historic turning point. It aims to give users - individuals and businesses alike - control over their data, and pave the way for a true single market for data in Europe.
Extended right of access to all usage data
The aim is simple: to give users back control over the data they generate. In concrete terms, any company or consumer using a connected product - vehicle, industrial machine, agricultural equipment or domestic appliance, for example - will be able to demand access to the data resulting from its use and share it with the service provider of their choice. Where personal data protection regulations such as the RGPD had enshrined a "right of access" to personal data alone, the Data Act now gives individuals and businesses the right to access all the data produced by their use of smart objects, machines and appliances. This is a major development that will require considerable effort on the part of the organizations concerned, foremost among which is the need to better understand, document and govern their data, so as to be in a position to return it.
New obligations for manufacturers and service providers
The Data Act also requires manufacturers to design their products to allow easy, free and machine-readable access to data, and toorganize its sharing in a transparent, fair and non-discriminatory way. Data holders are of course required to protect business secrets and comply with the RGPD, while guaranteeing portability to other cloud providers to avoid technological blockages. In the event of a major crisis, some data may even be temporarily requisitioned by public authorities.
Towards a single data market
Behind these obligations, the entire data value chain is impacted: users gain in autonomy, SMEs and start-ups see new markets opening up, and some large companies will have to reinvent their business models. The Data Act thus aims to create a genuine single market for data, stimulating innovation while limiting dominant positions and silos.
Beyond the technical aspects, this text marks a major cultural shift: from a logic of capture to one of controlled sharing of data. Companies that anticipate this shift - by rethinking their data governance, investing in interoperability and establishing genuine transparency - will be ahead of the game. Those who remain on the sidelines risk seeing their business model undermined in an increasingly open and competitive market. More than a regulatory obligation, the Data Act confirms and reinforces a reality that has been in place for a decade now: data is a lever of sovereignty, competitiveness and innovation for the European economy.
Eliott Mourier
Senior Manager Data Governance
Micropole, a Talan company
