A Map to Democracy - Data Sovereignty as Final Destination with Brent van der Heiden & Bennett Iorio

In this episode of Legal4Tech - The Podcast, we talk with Bennett from the GIEF Foundation and Brent van der Heiden, co-founder of MapAtlas, to unpack why mapping is a deeply political act and why data sovereignty matters for democracy. We explore topics such as:How commercial map apps turn our movements into valuable data streams and why "free" maps can come at the cost of our privacyThe promise and pitfalls of decentralized mapping and how citizen-driven maps could empower communities in the Global South. What the article argues about regulating spatial data, limiting data brokerage and building citizen-aligned mapping infrastructures. Join us for a deep dive into how location data, tech monopolies and governance models intersect to shape the future of our democracies. Shownotes: Who Owns the Map? Data sovereignty is Required to Protect DemocracySponsored by DigibeetleDigibeetle helps privacy, AI, and data professionals stay on top of EU digital law, with notifications, a daily dashboard, and powerful search across thousands of sources. Learn more at https://digibeetle.eu.Sponsored by GIEF. The Geopolitical Insight and Education Foundation is an independent policy and research think tank focused on stability in our democracies. Learn more at https://www.giefoundation.net/