For years, data has been powering business behind the scenes. Now the EU has decided it’s time to regulate how that data is accessed, shared, and controlled. The Data Act, adopted in early 2024, changes the game for every company that uses connected products, cloud platforms, or third-party software. That includes nearly everyone.

The idea is simple: data shouldn’t be locked away unfairly. If a product generates data – a vehicle, a fitness device, a piece of industrial equipment – then the people and companies involved should have access to it. The same goes for switching between cloud providers, or ensuring that contracts don’t create hidden traps around data ownership or portability.

For SMEs, this is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it opens up opportunity – better access to your own data, more power in negotiating with vendors, and the ability to innovate. On the other hand, it introduces new legal duties. You’ll need to check your contracts. Make sure you’re offering fair terms. Handle data access requests from partners or customers. And prepare for new requirements coming in 2026 and 2027 around cloud switching and interoperability.

That’s a lot to take in. Especially when most businesses are still managing data workflows manually, or relying on legal templates that haven’t been updated in years.

Qomplio helps you stay ahead of the Data Act without hiring a lawyer for every contract. Our platform scans and flags problematic clauses, manages data access obligations, and gives you a single place to track your compliance status. It’s designed for the real world – not just the legal team, but for the people handling partnerships, IT, and operations.

You stay in control. You reduce risk. And you show your customers and partners that your data practices are modern, ethical, and fair.

Want to be proactive? Here are three actions you can take today:

• Review your existing B2B contracts for fairness in how data is handled
• Look at your cloud services – could you switch providers if you needed to?
• Start building a simple list of what data you collect, where it lives, and who can access it