The politics of the digital economy is often represented as a struggle between large Information Technology (IT) companies and small firms. In this paper, I counter this narrative by showing how the diffusion of data-based business models can create alliances between small and big companies, and companies belonging to greatly different sectors. To demonstrate this, I analyse firm-level preferences towards the introduction of data sharing regulation in the EU, particularly a right to data portability for Internet-of-Things devices and a data access mandate for companies owning databases. My analysis shows that the firms’ position in the “Data Value Chain” predicts their preferences on these proposals: firms that are data holders (producing and selling data or data-related services to other companies) oppose data sharing regulation, while data reusers (seeking access to data from other companies) support such mandates. Crucially, the results hold regardless of the sector, size or nationality of firms, thus demonstrating that the position on the Data Value Chain is a variable driving regulatory preferences regardless of the type of firms. The study contributes to the understanding of how digital supply chains change firms’ interests and behaviour, potentially shaping new coalitions between firms, governments and citizens.