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Anyone can view the public onchain data. Anyone who is given a viewing key can view shielded onchain data. In both cases, the data is read only with no options to modify it.
The main point of Compact contracts is to enable developers to build apps where minimal data is stored on-chain, and the raw data and the smart contracts are stored on the user’s device.
In many cases developers don’t actually need to save your data. The simplest example is ordering alcohol through an application. The vendor doesn’t need to save your birthday in their database, they just need to know for a fact that you are of age. The program language allows the user to prove the fact that they are of age, without actually sending their birthday. That proof then enables the user to continue on with the transaction without actually revealing personal info.
All this to explain, the raw data stays on the user’s device, so there is no central location for governments to access user’s personal data.
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