The subsidiary of Facebook is to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation by May 25 and this data portability is one of its requirements.
In complying with the General Data Protection Regulation set to take effect in Europe, Facebook-owned Instagram has told TechCrunch that it will debut a data portability tool soon.
“You’ll soon be able to download a copy of what you’ve shared on Instagram, including your photos, videos and messages,” a spokesperson said.
The picture-sharing platform has never allowed users to download any media direct from its app or website. InstaPort is one of many third-party apps that has facilitated downloads to the risk of many users.
Instagram has been insulated to the revenue drive of platforms like its parent company, Facebook, and WhatsApp, another sibling subsidiary. The company does insert ads into users’ feeds and with over 800 million monthly active users, it derives a decent chunk of change from that audience. But while it feeds data into its sister social networks, Instagram itself has yet to extend into new verticals. That said, Facebook’s “Download Your Data” feature has been around for years.
It’s assumed that users’ own stable media will be saved. Whether likes, destructible media like private messages and Stories or bookmarked items will be logged down as well is yet to be known.
Internet companies have until May 25 to comply with the GDPR. Those companies may choose to implement those regulations globally as a preamble to any possible international standards on data privacy.
