Brazil pilots data savings accounts to let users monetize their digital footprint

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Brazil is pioneering a groundbreaking nationwide initiative that allows citizens to manage, own, and profit from their digital footprint through a data ownership pilot program called dWallet, which enables users to deposit data generated by their online activities into a "data savings account" and receive digital payments when companies purchase access to their information.

dWallet Digital Monetization Program

Brazil's dWallet program represents the first scalable solution for mass data monetization in the world. Developed by DrumWave, a company founded in Palo Alto by a Colombian and two Brazilians, the digital data wallet enables citizens to trade their personal information with companies, with users earning an average of approximately US$50 per month. This innovative system includes a Data Value Ecosystem that connects, qualifies, values, and shares data using a scoring system called DIM (Data Information Meaning) to calculate data value.

The program addresses key challenges in data monetization by establishing standards for data valuation and empowering individuals to control their information. Similar to California's Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which gives residents rights over their personal data, dWallet functions as an authorized agent that structures, standardizes, and verifies data authenticity before assigning value. This initiative comes as Brazil's data monetization market reached USD 88.65 billion in 2024, with projections to grow to USD 326.80 billion by 2033, driven by increasing digitalization and advances in big data analytics.

DATAPREV and DrumWave Partnership

In April 2025, Dataprev, Brazil's public information technology company linked to the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, announced a pioneering partnership with DrumWave at Web Summit Rio to implement data ownership management in Brazil. This collaboration aims to create individual "data savings accounts" that transform personal data into economic assets with monetization potential. The pilot project specifically targets citizens with consignado (payroll loan) contracts, of which Dataprev currently intermediates over 60 million, allowing users to authorize the compilation and sale of their loan information through DrumWave's dWallet technology.

The partnership positions Brazil as a global leader in digital rights while addressing economic equity in the data economy. According to Rodrigo Assumpção, Dataprev's president, the initiative represents "a relevant step towards digital equity, by recognizing the intrinsic value of each citizen's data." Brittany Kaiser, Chief Evangelist at DrumWave and president of the Own Your Data Foundation, emphasized that the project "aims to promote economic justice and strengthen digital human rights in the 21st century." The collaboration maintains strict data security protocols, with DrumWave managing only the digital wallets layer without direct access to Dataprev's information systems.

Data Ownership Rights Revolution

Brazil's data monetization initiative represents a significant evolution in the country's approach to data rights. In 2022, Brazil amended its Constitution to establish data protection as a fundamental right, placing it alongside freedoms like life, liberty, and property. This constitutional change followed the implementation of the Brazilian General Data Protection Law (LGPD) in 2020, which was inspired by Europe's GDPR and established comprehensive rules for collecting, handling, and sharing personal data.

The country's data rights framework has continued to advance, with Congress drafting a bill in 2023 that explicitly classifies data as personal property. This legislative progression aligns with Article 17 of the LGPD, which already asserted that "every natural person is assured ownership of her/his personal data." The Dataprev-DrumWave partnership builds upon this foundation, moving beyond privacy protection toward an active ownership model that empowers citizens to participate in and benefit from the digital economy, potentially correcting what Brittany Kaiser described as "the historical imbalance of the digital economy."