Today, vast amounts of personal data belonging to Europeans are controlled by a handful of large, private corporations, primarily based outside of Europe. Their main goal is profit maximization, and they operate under data protection standards that often fall short of European expectations. Even alternative services, especially in instant messaging, are typically controlled by a few individuals or investors.
This creates a fundamental disconnect: the people providing the data have little to no democratic say over how it’s managed or secured. It’s time for a change – a new approach that puts control back where it belongs: with the users themselves.
Welcome to the European Data Cooperative (EuDG)
The Mission
Our mission is to establish genuine, democratic control over our digital data. We believe your data should serve your interests and well-being, not commercial exploitation.
At EuDG, your data will:
- Be Yours Alone: Used only with your explicit consent and never accessed by the cooperative itself.
- Serve the Community: Any use of data (e.g., aggregated, anonymized statistics, if approved by members) must benefit the community, not external interests.
- Be Democratically Governed: The infrastructure and the cooperative belong entirely and equally to all of us, the members. All of our voices matter equally.
We are building a digital space aligned with European values of freedom, democracy, and privacy.
“Co-operatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions.”
– ICA Statement on the Co-operative Identity (1995)The Gap: Why a Cooperative is Needed
Most “free” services aren’t truly free. Here’s a look at what sets the EuDG apart.
| Service | The “Gap” | The EuDG Advantage |
|---|---|---|
 WhatsApp |
Data for Advertising: Owned by Meta. It collects user metadata to build detailed profiles for its targeted advertising business. | No Commercial Exploitation: Your data serves only you and the community. It is never used for commercial profiling or advertising. |
 Telegram |
Insecure by Default: Standard chats are not end-to-end encrypted. Its server software is closed-source and cannot be independently audited. | Secure by Default: All services will use mandatory, state-of-the-art, and verifiable end-to-end encryption. |
 Signal |
Centralized US Entity: Run by a US-based foundation and relies on US tech giants for its infrastructure. It is not owned or governed by its users. | Democratic European Governance: A cooperative owned and controlled by its European members, running on its own infrastructure. |
 Matrix |
Fragmented Experience: As a decentralized protocol, finding a trustworthy server and having a consistent user experience can be challenging. | Integrated & Simple: Provides a polished, user-friendly service running on a single, trusted, cooperatively owned infrastructure. |
The Cooperative
Owned by Members, Governed by Democracy.
To achieve our mission, we are founding a European Data Cooperative, starting as a registered cooperative under German law (eG) with the long-term vision of becoming a European Cooperative Society (SCE).
Why a cooperative?
- Member Ownership: The infrastructure (hardware and software) belongs entirely to the members.
- Democratic Control: Every member gets an equal vote (“one member, one vote”) on strategic decisions and the future direction of the cooperative. An elected steering committee handles day-to-day operations.
- Focus on You: Our legal purpose is to benefit all of us, the members, by providing secure, trustworthy digital infrastructure under collective control.
- Natural Persons Only: Only individuals can hold shares and voting rights, ensuring control remains with the people, not corporations or large investors. Equal shares mean equal power.
- Privacy by Design: You can be a member without necessarily linking your identity directly to the data you manage, using our services, allowing for anonymity.
“If individuals could pool their data rights, however, and make democratic collective decisions about how their data is used, that would strike the basic principle of the data economy.”
– Jaron Lanier (Tagesspiegel Background, 25.01.2021)This structure ensures the EuDG remains fundamentally democratic and aligned with the interests of its user-owners.
The Business
Built by the Community, for the Community.
EuDG is not about maximizing profits; it’s about providing a sustainable, high-quality service for its members.
- Member-Funded: The cooperative is financed through member shares acquired upon joining. This capital covers the costs of building and operating the secure infrastructure.
- Focus on Value: Our initial goal is to reach a critical mass of members by offering a secure, member-controlled instant messaging service.
- Growth by Choice: Once established, we can collectively decide to enhance the messenger, implement additional services and offer services to non-members under conditions set by the membership.
- Transparency: All strategic financial decisions are made democratically by the members.
Your membership directly funds the tools you use and collectively own.
The Tech
Secure Foundations for Your Data.
We believe in building on proven, secure technology rather than reinventing the wheel unnecessarily, especially at the start.
- Leveraging Existing Solutions: Initially, we will adapt a well-regarded, existing and open source instant messaging solution to meet our strict requirements for privacy and security.
- Community-Owned Infrastructure: The crucial difference is that this service will run entirely on hardware and infrastructure owned and controlled by all of us, the cooperative members.
- Encryption is Key: Our data will only be stored in encrypted form, ensuring the cooperative itself cannot access the content. The service will use E2E-Encryption with commonly used protocols.
- Member-Guided Development: Future technical developments and service expansions will be guided by the needs and decisions of the cooperative members.
Our focus is on providing trustworthy, secure applications running on infrastructure you collectively control.
Our Roadmap to Data Sovereignty
A step-by-step plan to build our digital future, together.
Build the Community
Gathering the founding members who believe in a different digital future.
Establish the Cooperative
Formally founding the EuDG as a member-owned legal entity.
Launch First Service
Rolling out our first product: a secure, E2E-encrypted instant messenger.
Democratic Growth
Expanding our services and impact, with every decision guided by the members.
Register your interest now to:
- Receive updates on our progress through each stage.
- Be among the first invited to formally join the cooperative as a founding member.
- Help shape the future of truly democratic and private digital services in Europe.
Become a Member
Fill out the form below to express your interest in joining the cooperative.
