THE DATA HUMAN INDEX
How human does a brand's data experience actually feel?
Most brands say they respect your data. The Index measures whether they actually do - using only what any user can observe, in about twenty minutes.
WHY THIS MATTERS
You already feel it. You just can't name it yet.
You feel it when a cancellation flow traps you. When a cookie banner is designed to be clicked, not read. When a privacy policy exists purely to protect the brand, not to inform you.
These are not oversights. They are decisions.
The Data Human Index puts a number on that feeling. For curious people, it is a way to understand what they are experiencing. For brands, it is a starting point for doing better.
WHAT THE SCORE TELLS YOU
A number that means something.
The DHI is scored out of 20 across five dimensions. Here is what landing in each band actually means - for the brand and for you as a user.
0-7
EXTRACTION-FIRST
Data practices are built around the brand's needs. Users are a source of value, not a person to be respected. Expect dark patterns, buried controls, and walls of legal text.
8-13
DEVELOPING
Some genuine effort is visible but significant gaps remain. The brand is probably compliant on paper but has not yet designed for trust. You can navigate it - but you have to work for it.
14-18
TRUST-AWARE
Real care is present across most dimensions with one or two specific weaknesses. The brand is thinking about the user experience of data, not just the legal requirement.
19-20
HUMAN-CENTRED
Transparent, respectful, and genuinely designed with the user in mind. These brands treat data as a relationship, not a resource.
REAL SCORES. REAL BRANDS.
We scored these brands ourselves, one dimension at a time.
Using only what any visitor can observe in a private browser window - no inside access, no special tools.
12
/20
DEVELOPING
Scores at the ceiling on Transparency and Clarity. Scores at the floor on Consent and Control. The information is there but the power is not.
TikTok
/20
12
DEVELOPING
The only brand in our dataset to score 0 on any dimension - Consent. Yet account deletion is easier here than on almost any brand we've scored.
The score is just the starting point. The shape is where the story is.
TRY IT YOURSELF
Score any brand in about twenty minutes
Pre-loaded with Facebook vs TikTok - two brands that both score 12/20 for completely different reasons. Hit "Clear form" to score your own brand instead.
THE FIVE DIMENSIONS
One question per dimension. No inside access required.
Each dimension is scored 0 to 4 based on a single observable question. The full scoring criteria live in the guide below.
01
Transparency
Can people find out what is being collected and why?
02
Consent
Is sharing data a real choice?
03
Clarity
Would someone actually understand what they are agreeing to?
04
Control
Is withdrawing as easy as granting?
05
Empathy
Is this designed for real people or ideal ones?
TAKE IT WITH YOU
Download the DHI Scorecard
A printable version of the scoring framework with evidence notes - free to use for personal or professional projects. Enter your email and we will send it straight to you.
This is an ongoing project.
The Index is part of a larger body of work on human-centred data strategy. Follow along on LinkedIn for new brand analyses, framework updates, and the thinking behind the scores.