Facebook launching new tool to transfer images to Google Photos

Facebook is releasing a tool that allows users to transfer their photos directly to Google’s storage service in a bid to give people “control and choice”.

The feature will be rolled out to Ireland first as it undergoes testing before being made available worldwide some time in the first half of 2020.

Encryption will be used to transfer photos and videos from the platform to safeguard privacy and security, the social network said.

The technology is based on code developed through its participation in the open-source Data Transfer Project, which big tech firms including Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter are also a part of.

“We want to build practical portability solutions people can trust and use effectively,” explained Steve Satterfield, Facebook’s director of privacy and public policy.

“To foster that trust, people and online services need clear rules about what kinds of data should be portable and who is responsible for protecting that data as it moves to different services.

“We hope this product can help advance conversations on the privacy questions we identified in our white paper.”