Migrating social media data with the data transfer project

The Data Dilemma

Openness, data transparency, and portability are very laudable goals, and we can only welcome attempts to allow users greater access and control over their data. Still, adding open data extensions to proprietary platforms like Facebook and Twitter is a far cry from implementing a fully open source, decentralized social networking platform like Diaspora or Mastodon. The Data Transfer Project is an incremental step in breaking down the walls of Big Tech, but no one should declare victory yet.

Infos

  1. Data Transfer Initiative/Project: https://dtinit.org/
  2. Data Transfer Project Overview and Fundamentals: https://datatransferproject.dev/dtp-overview.pdf
  3. Data Transfer Project on Google's GitHub: https://github.com/google/data-transfer-project
  4. Data Transfer Project Documentation: https://dtinit.org/documentation
  5. Data Transfer Project – Enabling portability of photos and videos between services: https://engineering.fb.com/2019/12/02/security/data-transfer-project/
  6. Download a Copy of Your Information on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/help/212802592074644
  7. Competition Is at the Heart of Facebook's Privacy Problem: https://www.wired.com/story/competition-is-at-the-heart-of-facebooks-privacy-problem/
  8. "How We Can 'Free' Our Facebook Friends": https://www.techdirt.com/user/kevin-bankston/
  9. Activity Streams 2.0: https://www.w3.org/TR/activitystreams-core/#introduction
  10. Data Dictionary Activity Object: https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs/twitter-api/enterprise/data-dictionary/activity-streams-objects/activity
  11. Developer Policies: https://developers.facebook.com/devpolicy
  12. Facebook Chat will stop working in Ubuntu this week: https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2015/04/facebook-chat-api-empathy-pidgin-stop-working

The Author

Nate Drake is a tech journalist specializing in cybersecurity and retro tech.

Buy this article as PDF

Express-Checkout as PDF
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
 
TABLET & SMARTPHONE APPS
Get it on Google Play

US / Canada

Get it on Google Play

UK / Australia

Related content

  • Open-Xchange and Zarafa

    The Open-Xchange and Zarafa groupware systems can tap into the APIs of Facebook, Twitter, and Xing, but you need different tactics for each service – keep in mind that the information yield is sometimes quite meager.

  • Hadoop 2 and Apache Spark

    Hadoop version 2 has transitioned from an application to a Big Data platform. Reports of its demise are premature at best.

  • ThinkUp

    Community managers, professional marketers, and active social media users want to know the effect their messages have on followers. ThinkUp can help.

  • Open-Xchange and SugarCRM Partnership Established

    Groupware solutions expert Open-Xchange and customer relationship management (CRM) provider SugarCRM are partnering to mutually integrate their solutions.

  • Open Source Social Media Tools

    Diaspora, Friendica, and Mastodon are free and decentralized microblogging platforms that keep you in control of your data.

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News