Facebook lets users transfer photos and videos to Dropbox
It’s another attempt to keep regulators happy.
If you’re looking to export photos or videos from your Facebook account, you now have more options. Beginning today, Facebook is allowing users to export those files to Dropbox and the EU startup Koofr, as well as Google Photos.
Facebook users worldwide have been able to transfer photos to Google Photos since June. These changes are part of a larger Data Transfer Project, which aims to make it easier for users to download and transfer data between Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Twitter.
The goal, at least partially, is to keep regulators happy. Data portability is required by the EU’s GDPR privacy rules and the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). Increased data portability could also address some larger antitrust concerns. As Reuters notes, a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) hearing on September 22nd will examine the potential benefits and challenges of data portability.
Facebook says it will require users to re-enter their passwords before transferring files, and the data will be encrypted during the transfer. But the company also says that it needs clearer rules about what kinds of data should be portable and who is responsible for protecting it. That, the company says, is up to policy makers.
To transfer photos and videos from Facebook to Google Photos, Dropbox or Koofr, select “Your Facebook Information” in settings. Select “Transfer a Copy of Your Photos or Videos,” enter your password, choose a destination and confirm.