Europe's Data Act takes effect, giving users a claim on the data their machines make
From today, people and businesses that use connected products in the EU can ask for the data those products generate.
Picture made for ABURA Bureau.
On 12 September 2025 the EU's Data Act came into application, twenty months after it entered into force. It gives the users of connected products, from cars and smart televisions to industrial machinery, greater control over the data those products generate, including the right to have it shared with a third party they choose.
A business obliged to share data with another may ask for reasonable compensation, which can include the costs of making the data available, with lighter terms for small firms. Contract terms that unfairly block data sharing are banned, and switching between cloud providers becomes easier. The rules reach companies outside Europe that sell connected products or services there.
For owners, the change is in who has a claim. Data that once sat only with a manufacturer can now be requested by the business that runs the machine. A farm, a factory or a fleet operator now holds data it can put to work, share on fair terms, or offer to others who can use it.
