Data Portability (Article 20)
Right to receive data in machine-readable format
Practitioner's note: This article is practice-oriented compliance documentation, not legal advice. We are a compliance specialist, not a law firm. For legally binding information please consult a licensed lawyer.
TL;DR
Article 20 GDPR applies to automated processing based on consent or contract. Format: JSON, CSV, XML — structured and machine-readable.
What is Data Portability (Article 20)?
Practical examples: bank account switching with statement export, exporting Spotify playlists, retrieving Google data via Takeout.
Practical example
A customer switches CRM providers and requests a data export: all of their data in CSV format. The controller must deliver within one month.
Frequently asked questions
Which format?
Structured and commonly used — JSON, CSV, XML. No PDFs, no proprietary formats.
Direct transmission?
Where technically feasible: yes (e.g., via API). Not required where systems are incompatible.