The EU Data Act was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council during the latter stage of the year 2023, and it entered into application on the 12th of September 2025. It represents a significant part of the European data strategy, aiming to provide more rights to consumers and businesses regarding the data that is generated by the use of their connected devices (any device/product that collects or generates data and can share the collected/generated data), including products such as smart TVs and watches, cars, as well as industrial machines.
The new regulation is aimed at making the cross-use of different types of connected devices easier by necessitating the allowance of data sharing, while simultaneously prohibiting contracts that can prevent the same. In relation to the aforementioned, the new regulation now prohibits the manufacturers of connected devices from forcing consumers to use exclusively their own apps and services, thereby allowing consumers to also use third-party services and providing them with more options in relation to the sharing of their generated data. Finally, the regulation aims to provide the rules of interoperability between cloud storage of different providers, as well as the requirement for providers to allow the transfer of apps and data between different cloud providers, with minimal obstacles.
The EU Data Act is of particular importance for industry and agriculture because it requires the manufacturers of industrial machines to allow for easier access to performance data by businesses and consumers, thereby increasing productivity and cutting costs for end-users.
In order to further facilitate the implementation of the Act, the Commission has previously published the FAQs (frequently asked questions) in September of 2024, in addition to other guidance materials, while on the other hand, an initiative named The Data Act Legal Helpdesk will be launched in order to help companies adhere their business to the new set of rules.
Prepared by,
Daniel Vujacic, LL.M. (UW)