The concept of data portability refers to an individual's right to access and transfer their personal data from one organization to another. It enables individuals to obtain and reuse their personal data for their own purposes across different services. For example, an individual can request their data from one service provider and transfer it to another provider, facilitating competition and giving consumers more control over their data.
This right is commonly associated with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) but is becoming more widely discussed in U.S. privacy contexts, such as under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and similar state laws. Although the CCPA does not explicitly mention "data portability," the concept aligns with its provision that grants individuals the right to access their data in a portable and usable format.