Data Transfer Project, or DTP, something very different: Facebook, the Google, Microsoft and the Twitter teamed up on a new open source project that would make it easier to transfer your data between online services.
The Data Transfer Program (DTP from the Data Transfer Project) officially launched 2017, but it was officially presented today with its first four members. Data Transfer Project is reportedly looking for other active members.
The ultimate goal of Proletterof data transfer is to improve data portability. In short, this project will help users not to download their data but to transfer it directly to any other service.
Facebook, for example, announced a new data export tool earlier this year, which allows its users to download a copy of all the data on Facebook. The updated tool was presented after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. With DTP, Facebook and the other three companies are trying to create channels that facilitate data transfer from platform to platform.
The release of such a service (DTP) coincides with the disclosure of large data spill scandals by major technology companies. The US is currently expanding its control and is trying to curb every data exchange. The UK imposed a fine on Facebook for its scandal Cambridge Analytica while Australia is preparing lawsuits. Facebook has been repeatedly accused of "privatizing" data, and of that confusing users obviously to share more data than what they would like. Google is also at the center of the controls because it was revealed that the third-party application developers they can read Gmail messages undisturbed.
So starting a project that includes an API that facilitates data transfer is probably not a coincidence after all the above. However, this movement probably also linked to the implementation of the GDPR which stipulates that users should be able to easily transfer data between services. The DTP does not make direct reference to the GDPR, but the EU decision was probably the main driving force behind the start of the project.
