The Right to Data Portability is part of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is an Act stipulate by the European Union in 2018. The Act targets unfair marketing practices executed by holding personal user information in silos to the end effect of imprisoning users to a specific OSP (Online Service Provider). Big OSPs such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft hold the majority of personal information and only share it among themselves. In the case of Facebook and Google honor among thieves does not apply since Facebook does not give Google access to its Contacts API. So even among the handful of big OSPs personal user data is siloed. And with good reason. The data is the source of billions in revenue. 

That is about to change. The RtDP Act demands of all the OSPs the ability for users to download their personal information and ability to upload the data to another OSP. The RtDP Act also specifies there must be a directly transfer mechanism with which to move personal data to another OSP without user interaction. Thus, great power is put into the hands of average internet users. 

So, a hand full of big players own everything about you. Why do you care? A survey conducted asked showed that only 25% of user who intended to change to a different OSP actually did so. Citing concerns about losing contact information and other data. A significant portion of users that wish to change OSPs are currently locked in by the big OSP monopoly. 

Change is already in the wind. Google launched its Data Portability API to meet the GDPR requirements. Governments are liking what they see so far. The country of Italy accepted Google’s Data Portability API by which Google will give access to your data to other smaller players. This is good news for users who like to engage on major social media networks but are ready to move on. However, as the probability of users getting their entire contact list to switch to a new OSP service is unrealistic, the Right to Data Portability will be more of the same. The big OSPs get to wash their hands clean of the matter and continue business as usual while virtue signaling on a whole other level.