Why Can't I Take My Data With Me? A Deep-Dive in Data Portability (or Lack Thereof)

Why is it so easy to switch banks, but so hard to move your photos, playlists, messages, or years of digital history from one platform to another?

In this episode of The People’s AI, presented by the Vana Foundation, we explore the foundational reasons of why data portability matters. Starting with the simple frustration of thousands of photos stuck in an old software ecosystem, we unpack the bigger issue of platform lock-in and why so much of our digital life is still difficult to move.

We look at how companies benefit when users cannot easily leave, how APIs and closed systems helped create this problem, and why privacy concerns and the race to collect data for AI have made portability even harder. We also examine what regulators in Europe and Canada are trying to do about it, why open banking stands out as a rare success story, and why the next big portability battle may involve AI memory, chat history, and personal context moving between tools.

Guests

• Peter Swire — Research Director, Cross-Border Data Forum; J.Z. Liang Chair, School of Cybersecurity & Privacy, Georgia Tech; Professor of Law and Ethics, Scheller College of Business
• Lisa Dusseault — CTO, Data Transfer Initiative
• Brad Callaghan — Associate Deputy Commissioner, Competition Bureau of Canada
• Pınar Özcan — Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Saïd Business School, Oxford University

The People’s AI is presented by the Vana Foundation, supporting a new internet rooted in data sovereignty and user ownership, where individuals, not corporations, govern their own data and share the value it creates. Learn more at Vana.org.