Facebook to soon let you transfer photos, videos to Google Photos

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Facebook Inc said on Monday it has introduced an option to transfer photos and videos from the social media network directly to other services, starting with Google Photos.

The option will be available to users in Ireland, with a worldwide roll-out planned for the first half of 2020.

All data transfers will be encrypted and users will be asked for a password before the transfer is initiated, the company said in a blog post. Facebook said in September it supports data portability and is planning to build new tools around it.

United States Senators Josh Hawley, Mark Warner and Richard Blumenthal introduced a bill in late October that would require communications platforms with more than 100 million monthly active members to allow its users to easily move, or port, their data to another network.

US and European regulators have been examining Facebook’s control of personal data such as images as they look into whether the tech giant’s dominance is stifling competition and limiting choice for consumers.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reacted by calling for new rules to address “data portability” and other issues.

Facebook said that as it worked on a new set of data portability tools, it had discussions with policymakers, regulators, and academics in the UK, Germany, Brazil and Singapore to learn about which data should be portable and how to protect privacy.

The company is developing products that “take into account the feedback we’ve received and will help drive data portability policies forward by giving people and experts a tool to assess,” Steve Satterfield, director of privacy and public policy, said in a blog post.