This policy brief calls for a redesign of global digital infrastructure to centre citizen agency, equity, and sustainability. As data increasingly drives economic and social power, current models – dominated by a handful of Big Tech platforms – entrench structural inequalities, diminish user control, and undermine public trust. Regulatory frameworks like the GDPR have fallen short in addressing systemic power asymmetries and enabling effective cross-border governance.

With the rise of advanced AI systems and increasing geopolitical fragmentation, there is a growing imperative for the G20 – representing the majority of global GDP and population – to lead in establishing coherent, interoperable, and rights-based approaches to digital infrastructure. Building on progress under the Indian and Brazilian presidencies, and aligning with global initiatives like the UN’s Global Digital Compact and the G7’s Hiroshima AI Principles, this brief outline actionable recommendations.

Key recommendations include: (1) establishing a shared definition and governance framework for digital infrastructure, with a focus on interoperability and public value creation; and (2) embedding data agency at the core of infrastructure design through decentralised, open-source protocols that rebalance power between citizens, states, and technology providers.