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The European Union is set to introduce new regulations that require tech giants like Apple to simplify the process of transferring user data online.

 

On June 29th, it was reported that the European Union is in the process of developing a series of laws aimed at limiting the power of tech giants, with the latest one being called the "Data Act." 

 

This act will dictate how tech companies like Apple utilize the data of European consumers and businesses while protecting users' privacy and choice.

Currently, if you're a loyal user of the Apple ecosystem, you may have stored a large amount of data on iCloud, including contacts, messages, calendars, photos, videos, emails, notes, documents, and device backups. If you want to migrate this data from iCloud to other cloud services (perhaps due to price increases), it is not an easy task. However, this is precisely what the new legislation aims to change.

 

It is understood that data portability refers to consumers' ability to freely transfer their online data from one service to another, completing the process as quickly and simply as possible. 

 

This increases consumer choice and breaks the monopolistic advantages of tech giants. For example, Facebook had to introduce tools for downloading and transferring data.

 

According to Reuters, EU member states and legislators reached a preliminary agreement on this act on Tuesday. The act will make it easier for users to switch to other data processing service providers, introduce safeguards to prevent unlawful data transfers by cloud service providers, and establish interoperability standards for data reuse among regulatory bodies.

 

Apple is almost certain to be affected by this new law. While Apple supports the principle of data portability and is one of the founding members of the Data Transfer Initiative (alongside Meta and Google), it currently does not provide a simple process for non-technical users to achieve this. 

 

The new law may require Apple to provide a smoother process, allowing consumers to transfer all their iCloud data to other cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive with just a click of a button.

 

In addition to simplifying the process of user data migration, the upcoming legislation will also empower users with more say in determining which data tech giants can use. For instance, if you have smart home products that communicate with servers owned by a brand, you will be able to choose which data to share and how companies can use that data.

 

Like all EU laws, the process of passing this act is lengthy and complex, involving multiple stages. Therefore, it should not be expected to take effect quickly. It is anticipated that it will take at least two years for the "Data Act" to become law and be applicable to tech companies like Apple.

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