Facebook Inc on Friday pushed for legislation that makes it easier for users to transfer photos and videos to a rival tech platform, in comments it sent to the Federal Trade Commission ahead of a hearing on the topic on Sept. 22.
Data portability has become a key part of the antitrust debate in the US and Europe.
In April, Facebook allowed users in the US and Canada to transfer photos and videos to Alphabet-owned Google Photos for the first time - a move that is likely to help the company respond to US regulators and lawmakers, who are investigating its competitive practices and allegations it has stifled competition.
“The FTC often issues reports following these workshops ... I think their recommendations should include dedicated portability legislation,” Bijan Madhani, privacy and public policy manager at Facebook told Reuters.
Facebook supports a portability bill already doing the rounds in Congress called the Access Act from Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Mark Warner, and Republican senator Josh Hawley. It would require large tech platforms to let their users easily move their data to other services.
The bill is a good first step, Madhani said. Facebook has engaged with the lawmakers on it and will continue working with them, he added.
Facebook is also seeking regulatory guidance, in the form of an independent body or regulator, in answering policy questions and helping them address liability issues tied to portability, Madhani said.
The social media platform is also pressing for more clarity on what kinds of data should be portable and who is responsible for protecting such information as it moves to different services, he noted.
