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Data Act Checklist

Deadline: 12.9.2025 (main provisions in effect)

Application overview

Entity	Relevance	Priority
IoT manufacturers	HIGH	Ch. II-III
SaaS/Cloud providers	HIGH	Ch. VI
Cloud service customers	MEDIUM (rights)	Ch. VI
B2B data holders	MEDIUM	Ch. III-IV
Other organisations	LOW	Awareness only

Part A: IoT / Connected Products (Ch. II-III)

For manufacturers of connected products, related services, data holders

#	Activity	Reference	Phase	Description
A1	Connected products inventory	Art. 2, 3	Preparation	List all connected products in the portfolio
A1.1	— Products generating data	Art. 2(5)	Preparation	Identify products with data
A1.2	— Mapping data flows	Art. 3	Preparation	What data, where, to whom available
A1.3	— Related services	Art. 2(6)	Preparation	Software/services linked to products
A2	Pre-purchase transparency	Art. 3(2)	Implementation	Pre-purchase information about data
A2.1	— Data type and volume	Art. 3(2)(a)	Implementation	Documentation of generated data
A2.2	— Real-time/continuous	Art. 3(2)(b)	Implementation	Info on continuous generation
A2.3	— Data access	Art. 3(2)(c)	Implementation	How the user accesses data
A2.4	— Manufacturer’s use of data	Art. 3(2)(d)	Implementation	Transparency on data use
A3	Data access mechanism	Art. 4	Implementation	Technical solution for access
A3.1	— API/Interface	Art. 4(1)	Implementation	REST API or user interface
A3.2	— Authentication	Art. 4(3)	Implementation	Secure access
A3.3	— Real-time streaming	Art. 4(1)	Implementation	Where technically feasible
A3.4	— Machine-readable format	Art. 4(1)	Implementation	JSON, CSV, standard formats
A4	Third-party data sharing	Art. 5	Implementation	Process for sharing with third parties
A4.1	— Request process	Art. 5(1)	Implementation	How the user requests sharing
A4.2	— Data transfer	Art. 5(1)	Implementation	Technical data transfer
A4.3	— Terms for recipients	Art. 6	Implementation	Conditions for third parties
A5	Data access by design	Art. 3(1)	Design	New products with built-in access
A5.1	— Design review process	Art. 3(1)	Design	Review of new products
A5.2	— Built-in UI/API	Art. 3(1)	Design	Access as part of the product
A6	Contractual documentation	Art. 4(6), 5	Legal	Terms of Service, EULA
A6.1	— Terms of Service update	Art. 4	Legal	Update conditions
A6.2	— Data licensing	Art. 4(13)	Legal	Licence for data use

Part B: Cloud Switching (Ch. VI)

For IaaS, PaaS, SaaS service providers

#	Activity	Reference	Phase	Description
B1	Customer contract audit	Art. 23-25	Preparation	Review all contracts vs. Data Act
B1.1	— Identify lock-in clauses	Art. 23	Preparation	Problematic contractual terms
B1.2	— Exit costs analysis	Art. 25	Preparation	Current switching/exit fees
B1.3	— Notice periods	Art. 25	Preparation	Notice periods vs. max 2 months
B2	Contractual amendments	Art. 25	Legal	Revision of Terms of Service
B2.1	— Switching rights clause	Art. 25(2)(a)	Legal	Right to switch at any time
B2.2	— Max notice period (2M)	Art. 25(2)(c)	Legal	Maximum notice period
B2.3	— Switching process description	Art. 25(2)(b)	Legal	Documented process
B2.4	— Transparent price list	Art. 25(2)(f)	Legal	Switching costs in advance
B2.5	— Early termination policy	Art. 25	Legal	Proportional penalty
B3	Data export function	Art. 24	Implementation	Technical solution for export
B3.1	— Export API	Art. 24(1)(a)	Implementation	Programmatic data export
B3.2	— Self-service UI	Art. 24(1)(a)	Implementation	Customer can export independently
B3.3	— Export formats	Art. 24(1)(b)	Implementation	JSON, CSV, SQL, standard
B3.4	— Data completeness	Art. 24(1)(a)	Implementation	All customer data
B3.5	— Metadata export	Art. 24(1)(c)	Implementation	Configuration, settings
B4	Technical assistance	Art. 24(2)	Process	Support during switching
B4.1	— Switching support process	Art. 24(2)(a)	Process	Assistance workflow
B4.2	— Migration documentation	Art. 24(2)(b)	Process	Technical guides
B4.3	— SLA for switching	Art. 25(2)(c)	Process	Max 2 months
B5	Interoperability	Art. 26-31	Implementation	Open standards, compatibility
B5.1	— Open APIs	Art. 26	Implementation	Standardised interfaces
B5.2	— Format standards	Art. 27	Implementation	Interoperable formats
B6	Prohibition of switching fees	Art. 25	Finance	Removal of charges
B6.1	— Pricing update	Art. 25(1)	Finance	Price list update
B6.2	— Contract amendments	Art. 25	Legal	Contract modifications

Part C: Unfair Contract Terms (Ch. IV)

For all B2B data contracts

#	Activity	Reference	Phase	Description
C1	B2B contract audit	Art. 13	Preparation	Review contracts for unfair terms
C1.1	— Unilateral changes	Art. 13(3)(a)	Preparation	Clauses allowing changes
C1.2	— Exclusive rights	Art. 13(3)(b)	Preparation	Blocking data sharing
C1.3	— Disproportionate liability	Art. 13(3)(c)	Preparation	Risk transfer
C2	Revision of contractual terms	Art. 13-14	Legal	Removal of unfair terms
C2.1	— New contracts	Art. 13	Legal	Compliance from 12.9.2025
C2.2	— Existing contracts	Art. 14	Legal	Compliance by 12.9.2027

Part D: Cloud Service Customers (Rights)

For organisations using cloud/SaaS services

#	Activity	Reference	Phase	Description
D1	Vendor contract audit	Ch. VI	Preparation	Review contracts with cloud providers
D1.1	— Switching rights	Art. 25	Preparation	Do we have the right to switch?
D1.2	— Exit costs	Art. 25	Preparation	What are the exit costs?
D1.3	— Data export	Art. 24	Preparation	Is export available?
D2	Vendor negotiation	Ch. VI	Action	Require Data Act compliance
D2.1	— Contract amendments	Art. 25	Action	Contract modifications
D2.2	— Export testing	Art. 24	Action	Test data export functions
D3	Exit Strategy	Art. 24-25	Planning	Documented exit strategy
D3.1	— Alternative vendors	-	Planning	Identify alternatives
D3.2	— Migration plan	Art. 24	Planning	Migration plan
D3.3	— Cost estimate	Art. 25	Planning	Cost estimate

Critical path

For IoT manufacturers

For Cloud/SaaS providers

For cloud service customers

Sources