Data have frequently been described as ‘digital gold’ or as the ‘new oil’. I cannot disagree more. Oil and gold are limited resources with high market value and a remarkable but limited presence in our lives. Moreover, they have a questionable future in our societies. But data are virtually unlimited: imagination is the only boundary for digitization pretensions and thus, digital information affects a huge and growing part of life. No one would question the future importance of the role that data play in everyday situations. Understanding the patterns and impacts of digitalization, especially in society, is complex. The striking importance of the outputs, tensions and changes generated by digital technologies triggers research needs and requests.