Felix Bole, CTO of Visions and an active member of Prometheus-X, recently presented the Prometheus-X Data Space Connector, which enhances the Data Space Protocol to allow for the management of personal data during an IDSA TechTalk. Their vision relies on a common and coherent approach to connect personal data stores, various data and services providers and AI personal assistants via this connector to create new tools while ensuring data trust and sovereignty.
Felix emphasized that Prometheus-X‘s approach focuses on the transformative potential of personal data intermediaries, Personal Data Assistants and personal data stores, a key innovation that gives individuals full control over their personal data. The central challenge they address is to leverage intelligent and personalized services without compromising user privacy, with first applications in various domains. Felix highlighted the following dichotomy: “On one hand, users want their assistants to access all data for personalized services. On the other hand, preserving privacy is paramount.”
To meet this challenge, Prometheus-X rejects conventional solutions such as universal aggregators due to privacy concerns. Instead, they advocate for a “my data” approach, where users control their data within a standardized framework, in accordance with the Data Spaces Protocol, thanks to their Personal Data Intermediary (PDI). “A personal data intermediary enables individuals to control the usage of their data in the ecosystem,” explained Felix. “Interoperability through standardized protocols is crucial here, ensuring seamless integration across various platforms.”
Prometheus-X partners with SOLID and CozyCloud to integrate personal data stores into data spaces
Prometheus-X collaborates closely with SOLID and CozyCloud to connect personal data stores to data spaces, thanks to PDIs. This innovation is then utilized in various use cases, including the one presented during the Tech Talk with the French Ministry of Education and CozyCloud: the personal teaching assistant.
To this end, they have developed a personal digital space for students to centralize their educational data and connect it to school services and platforms, via the data space and the PDI. A personal teaching assistant is offered to students within this framework. This integration provides students with unified access to educational tools and personalize their learning experience while protecting their data sovereignty.
A crucial component of this integration is the Prometheus-X Data Space Connector. It facilitates the sharing of personal data by adhering to the protocols and ODRL policies defined by the Data Space Protocol and extending them to enable individual consent management. These policies are implemented by Prometheus-X infrastructure services, ensuring secure and compliant data exchange.
The Prometheus-X Data Space Connector is based on the IDSA reference architecture and Data Space Protocol, ensuring trusted data sharing between participants and maintaining interoperability and compliance with global data exchange standards. It facilitates the connection between actors and services of a data space that all use this connector, enforcing a common protocol for secure data exchange.
The use of the Data Spaces Protocol ensures that data sharing is governed by robust contractual policies and standardized metadata systems. Prometheus-X is thus the first approach to enable personal data sharing within the data space framework.
Sharing standardized educational personal data with individual consent
Integrated into the connector protocol, Prometheus-X highlights the crucial role of Personal Data Intermediaries (PDI), enabled by the Prometheus-X Consent Manager component, which allows individuals to control the use of their personal data, managing their consent on how their data is used, by whom, and for what purpose. These Personal Data Intermediaries communicate with data space components and participant connectors to provide consent information and authorize data exchanges based on individual consent. The Prometheus-X Data Space Connector interfaces seamlessly with core services like catalogs and contract services, ensuring smooth operations within the data space ecosystem.
“Focusing on data privacy and interoperability, Prometheus-X facilitates a secure and standardized environment for data exchanges,” concluded Felix. “This approach not only improves outcomes but also sets a new standard for personal data management.”
Thus, Prometheus-X continues to evolve the Prometheus-X Data Space Connector. Through close collaboration with regulatory bodies and educational stakeholders, they constantly work on improving their protocols. They aim to expand the use of the connector and other open-source components (https://prometheus-x.org/building-blocks/) of the data space infrastructure they develop, ensuring a data-sharing approach centered on the individual.
