The Data Transfer Project was started back in 2017 and seeks to create an open-sourced, service-to-service data probability platform. When completed, the platform will give individuals across the web an easier way to move their data between various online service providers, at any given moment. This includes content, contacts, and more.
Big tech companies and social media platforms such as Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), and Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) have all contributed to building the Data Transfer Project (DTP). The tool isn’t ready for use yet, but the whitepaper was released to the public today.
Industry Standard for Data Portability
We’ve all been there before. We’ve just downloaded the hottest trending app and can’t seem to find our friends anywhere.
The DTP could fix that by creating an industry standard for data portability. This could force companies to compete on utility, rather than the typical data lock-in that traps its users because it’s too time-consuming and annoying to switch services.
The DTP could also be a major benefit for startup companies, as it would make it extremely easy, for example, to port health data from fitness trackers or even playlists in music streaming services.
Since Facebook owns Instagram, data between the two social platforms is now easily shared—making it much more user-friendly for users. Larger companies will always win out against the smaller tech companies, as they instantly interoperate with a user’s existing data when integrating a new functionality. Whereas a new startup platform would require you to start all over—most individuals won’t be inclined to start from scratch. So this is where the DTP would come in.
Data Protection Laws
As the DTP continues to build out its products, the tech giants will undoubtedly voice their opinions on governments’ data protection regulations. The new tool would give users the freedom to choose which app competes for their data and attention—freedom and transparency being the key points.
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