The unaffordability of basic goods and services is of growing concern for individuals and policy makers around the world. As talent in big data management and analytics becomes more heavily concentrated in global corporations, there is a widening gap between the real-time analytical capabilities of large corporations and those of citizen groups and governments, causing corporations to disproportionally benefit from the use of citizens’ data. Limitations in the capacity of modern-day legal systems, particularly with regard to timeliness and accessibility to consumer groups, make legal solutions largely impractical in addressing data governance issues. In the midst of systemic challenges and rapidly advancing software development technologies, governments may find value in increasing data disclosure policies and launching in-house digital infrastructure projects targeted at making data access more equitable. An example of consumer-empowering digital infrastructure is a price comparison website; this technology allows consumers to compare a range of competitors’ products with a uniquely designed search engine, thus simplifying the purchase decision process.
