Abstract:Data element governance is a key factor to promote the modernization of national governance in the digital era. By strengthening the deep integration of data factors and national governance, a new model of data-driven national governance can be formed, and the national governance can be made more scientific, refined, intelligent, and efficient. The US and European countries have continuously strengthened the top-level system design, technological innovation application, collaborative governance mechanism, and global governance cooperation of data element governance, which has effectively improved the level of data element governance and provided experience for China. Nevertheless, due to the virtuality of data elements, more subjects involved, greater risk of leakage, and higher requirements of technical support level, the current data element governance is still faced with challenges such as imperfect collaborative governance mechanism, incomplete ethical governance mechanism, weak talent and technology foundation, etc. It is thus challenging to give full play to the role of data factors to meet the needs of the modernization of national governance. In the new era, it is urgent to establish and improve a data element governance system suitable for current major needs and application scenarios of national governance, by establishing a governance concept that takes into account the development of efficiency, fairness, and security in all directions, building a governance model featuring the collaboration and co-governance of multiple subjects of the government, the market, and society, strengthening a governance idea driven by the synergy of science, technology, and institutions, and improving the basic guarantee of talents, infrastructure, and public services, to promote the governance level of data factors and provide strong support for the modernization of national governance system and capacity.