> But if you have the right to demand your data back from a company at any time, why shouldn't the company have the right to demand its own data back from YOU--music, books, movies?
Remember though, exporting my data from e.g. Facebook doesn't mean that Facebook doesn't have the data anymore. The same as selling me an mp3 doesn't mean that the record label or Amazon doesn't have one less unit of inventory to sell to someone else.
You're completely right that
> if you don't want my data stored on only my servers, then don't use my site.
and your writer customer is also free to state that he will prefer sites that allow him to export his data.
Also, I'd like to know what you think about the cellphone plan example in the original example? It seems like a good example of an informed customer being able to get a better deal, but there is little incentive for the providers to supply this data. I posit that this is where it crosses the line from "nice to have" into a right.
Remember though, exporting my data from e.g. Facebook doesn't mean that Facebook doesn't have the data anymore. The same as selling me an mp3 doesn't mean that the record label or Amazon doesn't have one less unit of inventory to sell to someone else.
You're completely right that
> if you don't want my data stored on only my servers, then don't use my site.
and your writer customer is also free to state that he will prefer sites that allow him to export his data.
Also, I'd like to know what you think about the cellphone plan example in the original example? It seems like a good example of an informed customer being able to get a better deal, but there is little incentive for the providers to supply this data. I posit that this is where it crosses the line from "nice to have" into a right.