Let me explain my suggestion with a user story!
This is meant to explain my suggestion, using speculative possible future gameplay, to highlight how data as a game object could be useful.
Simon Darkstep, intrepid (and handsome) commander of USS ACME, has just docked at Derrickson's Escape in Keries. His ship's computer only has current data from his current location. He taps up the commodity trade interface to see what the market is looking like.
+ Data: Keries cartographics
+ Data: Derrickson's Escape commodity data
He checks in with the station's spacers' bar. (Contacts - Lounge) Six other NPC spacers are present. One of them seems chatty, so he buys a round of good stuff for everybody. (Round of drinks; 6 patrons x 20Cr for quality hooch this far out = 120Cr; gives a chance for a data item) The chatty spacer's name is Lucien, and he has a hot tip. One of the daughters of the Aulin Enterprises dynasty is about to announce her upcoming wedding. The family's executive chefs are gathering up the very best rare foodstuffs. The whole company is expected to celebrate as well, so other items will be in high demand too.
+ Data: Community event: Aulin Family wedding
+ Data: High demand and bonus price on Rare foodstuffs. Witchhaul Kobe Beef, Diso Ma Corn, Lavian Brandy, etc. (Trade data for Aulin system)
+ Data: High demand and bonus price on normal foodstufffs. Wine, liquor, beer, animal meat, fruits & veg, etc. (Trade data for Aulin system)
Derrickson's Escape is in an Anarchy system, so no GalNet, Stellar Cartographics, or other services such as email, FTL chat, etc.
+ Mission available: Carry high priority email to/from Derrickson's
+ Data as Commodity available: Carry normal space-mail parcels back to civilized space and return.
Simon will have to go back to civilized space to check on the situation. He flies back to Chemaku, and lands at Crampton Port. He's got a lot of bonus faction with them, so the news he gets is reliable and cheap.
+ Data: System cartographics updates along the way. Trade data as well if he stops. 10Cr each for updated discovery scans.
- Data: Cartographics and trade data sold to the contacts at Crampton. 1000Cr for trade data at a dangerous Anarchy system.
+ PC Data: Simon saves to disk the data that he wants to update to Slopey's. 100Cr each for the Aulin and Keries data updates. 100Cr for the hot tip about the upcoming Community event.
Simon's download and subsequent publication-via-third party tool will ensure that the Community event at Aulin will get a bit of attention, and help drive the success Tier higher. He's down 420Cr so far, on drinks and downloads, but up 1200Cr+ for providing data updates for NPCs.
He goes to take a look at the updated data for Witchhaul, Lave, and Diso. Diso has already been updated in a third party tool, so that is free! Witchhaul is in an economic boom. Lave is being interdicted by the Empire! Oh no!
+ Data: Witchhaul and Lave data. Costs 100Cr each to buy remotely.
Simon talks to a Commander friend, Raven, who's got good faction with the Empire, but has no qualms about skirting around the law. They're both at major stations with FTL communication, so they can chat. Raven goes to Lave, while Simon goes to Witchhaul, to pick up enough beef for both of them. When Raven gets to Lave, he sees that the system is, indeed interdicted. The Empire has deployed capital ships near the arrival point, and is using capital scale FSD interdictors to immediately pull all smaller ships out of frameshift. Raven passes the inspection with no problem, and proceeds to Lave Station. The station, being interdicted by the Empire, has no FTL communication at all, and so is isolated.
+ Data: Raven has cartographic information about the location of the Imperial fleet ships, plus fresh cartographic data about Lave system itself. He soon has market data too.
+ Mission available: smuggle messages out of Lave and to Lave, for Commanders with the trust of the Alliance.
Raven meets back up with Simon. They dock at nearby Diso. Simon gives Raven a load of Witchhaul beef, in exchange for the stellar data at Lave. Simon plots course for Lave, and launches!
-> Data: Raven trades <1hour old data to Simon
Simon plots course, using the very current data to arrive at a pirate jump point 25 Ls polar-north of Planet Lave. Before the Imperial patrols realize what's up, he makes a run for Lave Station, avoiding interdiction and destruction. Supply on Lavian Brandy is very high, because few ships are able to get through. (Allows extra ticks of Rares to be bought.) Simon stocks up on party hooch, takes several missions to deliver messages to frantic loved ones worried about their Lavian relatives, sells off the data he's acquired (at bonus prices) and leaves for Aulin!
- Data: Simon already sold the data for Derrickson's, which is a shame. It would be very profitable to sell here. He does sell the data for Chemaku and Diso, gaining a tidy profit.
+ Data: He picks up several data objects of messages and mail, to deliver to any major station in a civilized system.
Simon launches once again, loaded up with brandy and data! Onward to the next stops!
Thanks for reading!