Description
Building on the experiences of the Ethical Data Initiative (www.ethicaldatainitiative.org) and twenty years of qualitative research on data practices, I discuss current challenges in data management and re-use - particularly to do with severe funding restrictions, geopolitical tensions, bias and inequities in data systems, AI scraping at scale and unresolved issues of data ownership and sovereignty. I propose data governance models, and specific data management practices, which could help not only address these issues, but improve our global data ecosystem. I conclude reflecting on the significance of equitable Open Research, pointing to the Munich Manifesto as a key tool to voice these concerns (https://opensciencestudies.eu/for-2026-conference/munich-manifesto/).