Dataslip: How Far Does Your Personal Data Go?

Abstract

As we navigate the physical and digital world, we unknowingly leave behind an immense trail of data. We are informed about this via lengthy documents (e.g., privacy policies) or short statements (e.g., cookie popups). However, even when we know that data is collected, we remain largely unaware of its nature; what information it contains and how it relates to us. Data is highly personal. It contains and reveals information about our behavior and experiences scattered over time, which can be abstract and opaque even to us. Dataslip is an interactive installation where the construct of personal data is translated into a material and tangible representation in the form of a receipt or ‘personal data slip’. The receipt contains detailed information and illustrative examples of the data generated from our interactions with five different categories of products and services: (1) personalized public transport cards, (2) supermarket loyalty cards, (3) credit and debit cards, (4) wearables, and (5) mobile apps. Its length is proportional to the amount of data collected about us. With dataslip, we aim to reduce the distance between individuals and their personal data, elicit confrontation and invite people to question their role within the personal data ecosystems in which they are embedded.