Data Transfer Project
The Data Transfer Project is an open-source project launched in 2018 to enable service-to-service data portability so that all individuals across the web can easily move their data between online service providers whenever they want.
The contributors to the Data Transfer Project believe portability and interoperability are central to innovation. Making it easier for individuals to choose among services facilitates competition, empowers individuals to try new services and enables them to choose the offering that best suits their needs.
How does it work
The Data Transfer Project uses services’ existing APIs and authorization mechanisms to access data. It then uses service specific adapters to transfer that data into a common format, and then back into the new service’s API.
What are some use cases
There are many use cases for users porting data directly between services, some we know about today, and some we have yet to discover. A couple of examples of ones we know users want today are:
- Trying out a new service
- Leaving a service
- Backing up your data
Benefits of DTP
Without DTP, transferring a copy of data from one service to another can be a time consuming process, requiring a user to download a copy of their data to a local device and re-upload it to a new service. This can be particularly challenging for mobile-only users, those with limited bandwidth, and in markets where people pay-as-they-go for data usage. The data portability tools built on the Data Transfer Project framework remove the need for local device storage and transfer, enabling users to move their data directly between services. DTP makes this process easier for companies as well by providing standard data formats and necessary adapters.
