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Instagram Launches 'Data Download' Tool To Let You Leave (techcrunch.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the bye-Felicia dept.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Two weeks ago TechCrunch called on Instagram to build an equivalent to Facebook's "Download Your Information" feature so if you wanted to leave for another photo sharing network, you could. The next day it announced this tool would be coming and now TechCrunch has spotted it rolling out to users. Instagram's "Data Download" feature can be accessed here or through the app's privacy settings. It lets users export their photos, videos, archived Stories, profile, info, comments, and non-ephemeral messages, though it can take a few hours to days for your download to be ready. An Instagram spokesperson now confirms to TechCrunch that "the Data Download tool is currently accessible to everyone on the web, but access via iOS and Android is still rolling out." We'll have more details on exactly what's inside once my download is ready.

15 comments

  1. Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1. Dangling quote
    2. TechCrunch requested a feature from Instagram, then TechCrunch released that feature?

  2. Download? What about delete? by TFlan91 · · Score: 2

    Great, I can download all my Facebook and Instragram data.

    Now... what about deleting it from their servers?

    1. Re:Download? What about delete? by goombah99 · · Score: 2

      No need to delete, they arent' sending you a copy of your data, it's the data itself. they send you the very same electrons you sent it to them with right back to you.

      --
      Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    2. Re:Download? What about delete? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No need to delete, they arent' sending you a copy of your data, it's the data itself. they send you the very same electrons you sent it to them with right back to you.

      Hey you. Look up.

      Those electrons whizzing over your head are carrying the fucking point you completely missed.

    3. Re:Download? What about delete? by qortra · · Score: 2

      I'm sure it's coming. The Data Download tool is likely a requirement to satisfy the new GDPR regulation that goes into effect in a month or so, specifically article 20 ( Right to Data Portability: https://gdpr-info.eu/art-20-gd... ). There is another requirement in the same regulation that guarantees the right to erasure ( https://gdpr-info.eu/art-17-gd... )

    4. Re:Download? What about delete? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Actually I think you're the one that missed the joke

    5. Re:Download? What about delete? by cyn1c77 · · Score: 1

      No need to delete, they arent' sending you a copy of your data, it's the data itself. they send you the very same electrons you sent it to them with right back to you.

      But what about the entangled electrons that they keep?

      I'd have to delete my data to delete those, right?

    6. Re:Download? What about delete? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is only true if you have a loose definition of what "your data" means

    7. Re:Download? What about delete? by gnick · · Score: 1

      I can download all my Facebook and Instragram data.

      I'm not an Instagram user, but I've used the Facebook "Download Your Data" function. It'll let you download a copy of everything you've uploaded (pics, vids, posts, messages), but it leaves out a lot. Facebook collects a lot of information based on Location Services if it's on and they track web activity wherever they're able. None of that is included in what they make available to download. The stuff that I suspect is most valuable is kept hidden.

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
    8. Re:Download? What about delete? by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      I'm not an Instagram user, but I've used the Facebook "Download Your Data" function. It'll let you download a copy of everything you've uploaded (pics, vids, posts, messages), but it leaves out a lot. Facebook collects a lot of information based on Location Services if it's on and they track web activity wherever they're able. None of that is included in what they make available to download. The stuff that I suspect is most valuable is kept hidden.

      Well, the law states that the download function, meant for data portability, consists of everything the user contributed. That's it. Any excess data collected but the user did not upload, or create, does not have to be part of the download package.

      Effectively, Facebook can't hold YOUR data hostage - as part of the European law, everything you put on Facebook you can download from Facebook. (Yeah, you should have your own copies, but for most people that's scattered through a million hard drives and emails and photo albums).

      Other data Facebook may have collected on you, based on what you uploaded or otherwise, is not included, so your location history, website visit history, face recognition details, etc. are not included.

  3. Finally. by Mr0bvious · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm signing up now just so I can use this!

    About time!

    --
    Never happened. True story.
  4. Nothing to do with the GDPR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    ...nothing at all.

    1. Re:Nothing to do with the GDPR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have a look at Article 20

  5. Data Download tool by viewham · · Score: 1

    Superb I can download my data in both accounts.

  6. Another Hotel California allows leaving by nospam007 · · Score: 1

    Checking out was never the problem, as the song clearly states.