We joined our new partners MyData and 400+ peers from 40+ countries to Espoo, Finland, where MyData gathered technologists, policymakers, regulators, public institutions, and builders under one roof. As Timpi’s representative, I spent three days listening, learning, and meeting people who are moving human-centric data from principle to practice. Below are the clearest themes I took home, why they matter now, and how I believe Timpi will be leading that transition with the rest of the member projects.
What “human-centric” looked like at MyData
The core idea is direct and practical: people should see where their personal data goes, decide who can use it, and change their mind over time. That’s the heart of the MyData approach. This year’s gathering marked ten years of pushing that idea forward, which the conference site captured well.
Across keynote halls and hallway chats, two words kept surfacing. Empowerment. Interoperability. For services to earn trust, consent must be meaningful and portable, and systems must work together by default. Although Timpi takes the different path, and never collects any data, we realize in certain industries that is impossible. That’s why the definition of valid consent remains the anchor. It must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous.
Highlights from stages and hallways
There were many strong sessions. The most useful moments were the unscripted ones. Networking and open conversations sharing experiences and forming relationships.
Transparent AI needs trustworthy data
AI systems inherit the strengths and weaknesses of their data. Provenance, auditability, and bias mitigation came up in several discussions. The throughline was simple. High-integrity inputs produce more reliable outputs. An independent, manipulation-resistant view of the web is not a nice-to-have. It is critical infrastructure for responsible AI, and that is exactly what Timpi will soon provide for the organizations and individuals through our Data API
Policy and the path to adoption
Policy conversations are finally converging with deployable tech. Accountability requirements are meeting architectures for consent, portability, and governance. The remedies phase in the United States antitrust case around search underlined the point. Markets need competition and accountability, not default lock-in. See the Department of Justice’s remedies update and this Reuters recap.
Why this matters for search and AI
The web’s current incentives have rewarded surveillance and narrow control for a very long time. Recent enforcement and policy work are opening the door to a healthier model. At the same time, Europe’s data-space initiatives show a way to scale trustworthy, governed data flows that respect rights and still support innovation. For builders of AI, that means better inputs. For people, that means services that compete on value, not on how hard they make it to leave.
How does this link to Timpi’s mission
Timpi exists to challenge Big Tech’s grip on discovery by delivering a privacy-first alternative:
- Independent, manipulation-resistant index. Our decentralized index reduces single-point control and the incentives that lead to opaque curation. People should see the web as it is.
- Privacy-first business model. We reject surveillance ads and data harvesting. The product is the search experience, not the user.
- Data services for builders. Developers and researchers can access clean, high-integrity web data through API. That supports responsible AI and analytics without compromising privacy.
This is the blueprint we are building toward in beta as we prepare for wider access.
Where the industry is heading
Signals from MyData and the broader market point in the same direction.
- From platform silos to governed interoperability. Cross-domain data spaces and portable consent are moving from pilots to practice. The European vision for interoperability in data spaces is an early read on how that scales.
- From opaque ranking to auditable discovery. People are asking tougher questions about provenance, ranking incentives, and training data. Independent indexes and transparent inputs are gaining ground.
- From surveillance economics to trust economics. As expectations rise and enforcement catches up, services that earn consent and respect choice will outperform those that rely on friction and defaults.
Timpi × MyData: what’s next
We will continue to work closely with MyData and its members. The goal is clear. Help move the internet toward a human-centric model. That includes staying active in the community, sharing what we learn from building an independent index, and collaborating where our privacy-first approach can turn principles into production.
Closing
The takeaway from Espoo is straightforward. Human-centric data has moved from idea to implementation. The next phase is about doing the work at scale. Consent that moves with data. Interoperable rails that earn trust. Products that deliver real value without surveillance. That aligns with Timpi’s mission and the kind of web we want to help build.
Ready to help shape a human-centric web? Join the Timpi beta waitlist for early access and updates.