Facebook Lets Users Download All Their Data (in Europe)

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One stark difference between social networks Facebook and Google+ is ownership of content. While Google espouses data portability, it’s not exactly easy to export your data from Facebook. Unless you’re in Europe, that is.

At the recently-concluded f8 developers conference, Facebook detailed its latest user interface change. The soon-to-be-launched Timeline feature will result in a drastic shift from static profile to a flowing Timeline, capable of looking through a user’s online life in a single page. But even so, users wonder how much control Facebook has over their data. For instance, Facebook users cannot export data to another format, unlike the data portability concept that Google+ is so proud of.

But there is a way. Silicon Filter’s Frederic Lardinois says that if you’re in Europe, a EU data protection law says that every individual has the right to get a copy of personal data that any company has about him. And since Facebook in Europe is based in its Dublin office, each European Facebook user legally has a contract with Facebook Ireland LTD, which is covered by the law.

The Europe vs. Facebook site has step-by-step instructions on how to request a complete copy of your data. The end result here is that Facebook should send you a copy of everything they have on you, including posts, connections, photos, and even deleted posts. They do not publicize this, though, but if you’re persistent, and if you follow the right steps, then they are legally constrained to send you your data.

• Scan or take digital photos of government-issued IDs, like a driver’s license or passport. This is just to prove it is you requesting your data.
• Fill out the Facebook data request form. This is accessible at https://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=data_requests. Upload a copy of your ID here.
• Be persistent. Facebook will then email you saying all of your data is online, anyway. But you will need to insist on your rights. For example, not all data is visible online, including metadata and deleted posts. These will appear on the exported data, though.
• Wait for your CD.

Yes, you read it right: CD. Facebook will send you a CD containing an unencrypted PDF file with all your data. There is a 40-day waiting period, according to law, but depending on the size of your actual Facebook account, it couuld be shorter.

It might be interesting to find what stuff you have in your Facebook data, especially since the European data-export method will also include deleted content. And judging from sample PDFs we saw on the site, it even includes location data where applicable. It seems Facebook knows more about our lives than we realize, which is why privacy advocates are often warning users against potential security lapses with Facebook.