Definition
Data Portability
Your ability to export your data from one service and move it to another in a usable format.
Data portability is whether you can take your data — messages, files, contacts, history — out of a service in an open, usable format and move it elsewhere. Strong portability means low switching cost; weak portability means lock-in.
Why it matters: a service that traps your data controls you. Before you commit, check that you can leave with everything intact — portability is what makes the right to leave real.
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