Comments to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on Data Portability

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has requested comments on the benefits and drawbacks of increased data portability. In response, ITIF's Center for Data Innovation has filed comments explaining that data portability maximizes the utility of data by allowing data collected by one service to be reused in another, thereby enabling the development of valuable third-party services. In addition, data portability fosters competition by reducing switching costs and avoiding vendor lock-in. The Center offers several specific recommendations for how the federal government can increase data portability, particularly in certain highly-regulated sectors, but notes that in many cases data portability should be encouraged, rather than mandated.