Download your Facebook, Google, and Apple data and be very amazed
Download your Facebook, Google, and Apple data and be very amazed
Introduction
I wrote some time ago for Online Tech Tips about how to check and keep track of Google and Facebook connected apps. https://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/check-google-facebook-connected-apps/ If you use Facebook or Google to sign in to other online accounts, or you've responded to Facebook quizes and games, tech security professionals strongly recommend this step.
I had long intended a follow on article, that is particularly current with controversy over about privacy and data ownership. So below is an article about how a user can download and peruse all of the user's data that these three companies have stored online. While this is a long way from the GDPR right to be forgotten, it is at least a start to greater transparency about information about us that these companies possess.
Below, under a separate discussion for each company, we show how to download your personal data,. In a follow on piece to this, we'll provide some clues about what is most enlightening about the downloaded information.
Facebook
Access Settings, from the top right down arrow. Touch this down arrow, and choose Settings.
On the main page titled "General Account Settings", from the navigation items along the left, Choose "Your Facebook Information"
Facebook then says, "You can view or download your information and delete your account at any time". Under choices listed below, choose "Download Your Information"
Below, under a separate discussion for each company, we show how to download your personal data,. In a follow on piece to this, we'll provide some clues about what is most enlightening about the downloaded information.
Access Settings, from the top right down arrow. Touch this down arrow, and choose Settings.
On the main page titled "General Account Settings", from the navigation items along the left, Choose "Your Facebook Information"
Facebook then says, "You can view or download your information and delete your account at any time". Under choices listed below, choose "Download Your Information"
Facebook explains the first category, as Information you've entered, uploaded and share on Facebook, such as your profile information, your posts, likes and comments. "
It lists the second category, as "Information associated with your Facebook account, such as your logins to Facebook and what devices you use."
For now, leave all these listed items selected. Note the instruction at the top of the page:
"You can download a copy of your Facebook information at any time. You can download all of it at once, or you can select only the types of information and date ranges you want. You can choose tO receive your information in an HTML format that is easy to view, or a JSON format, which could allow another service to more easily import it. Downloading your information is a password-protected process that only you will have access to. Once you' ..created a file, it will be available for download for a few days."
See and choose "Create File"
Facebook then responds that the file is being created.
Google
So now, enjoy a cool iced coffee. Before long, you'll receive a follow up email from Google, titled "Your account, your data." Choose the link to "Manage archives"
This brings you back to a Google "Manage Archives page, with instructions and a link under Details to "Show archives"
.
This will expose another long list - because if you are a long time Google user, Google had to break up the bulky downloads to 1-2 GB parts. Here's what that looks like for my google account!
When you start to download these, Google will ask for your password, along with any other authentication, like assent via the mobile Google app. For this exercise, best to plug in a external hard drive, in case the total, for me more than 20 GB of data, is too much for your internal storage.
SIDEBAR: Change default destination of your browser download folder:
So now, on to the next data repository, Apple!
In a few minutes, you'll receive a Facebook notification that your information is ready. Click on the notification. Note that the download page that had been highlighting a "NEW" download, now highlights an "AVAILABLE" download.
When you click Download, you'll get a pop up requiring entry of your Facebook log on password. Upon completion, the data will download to a large Zip file named "facebook-[your facebook name].zip"
If you are logged in online to your Google account, your name and icon are in the top right. Click on your icon, and you'll see a link to your "Google Account."
From the main account page, choose "Privacy & Personalization" from the box on the screen or from the left navigation. Under Data & Personalization, scroll down a page, past Activity Controls, and Timeline, to "download, delete, or make a plan for your data."
From the main account page, choose "Privacy & Personalization" from the box on the screen or from the left navigation. Under Data & Personalization, scroll down a page, past Activity Controls, and Timeline, to "download, delete, or make a plan for your data."
When you click on "Download your data, another dizzying list of modules and products appears, appropos for someone who's had a Google account for a dog's age!
The next step is to customize the download, specifying whether a one time download, or periodically. When you trigger the download, you receive a message, along these lines,
"An archive of 55 products is currently being prepared
The next step is to customize the download, specifying whether a one time download, or periodically. When you trigger the download, you receive a message, along these lines,
"An archive of 55 products is currently being prepared
Please note that archives may take a long time (hours or possibly days) to create. You will receive an email when your archive is complete."
So now, enjoy a cool iced coffee. Before long, you'll receive a follow up email from Google, titled "Your account, your data." Choose the link to "Manage archives"
This brings you back to a Google "Manage Archives page, with instructions and a link under Details to "Show archives"
.
This will expose another long list - because if you are a long time Google user, Google had to break up the bulky downloads to 1-2 GB parts. Here's what that looks like for my google account!
When you start to download these, Google will ask for your password, along with any other authentication, like assent via the mobile Google app. For this exercise, best to plug in a external hard drive, in case the total, for me more than 20 GB of data, is too much for your internal storage.
SIDEBAR: Change default destination of your browser download folder:
- In Google Chrome, change the default destination of your download folder by opening Settings/Advanced/Downloads/Location.
- In Safari, Safari/Preferences/General/file download location.
So now, on to the next data repository, Apple!
Apple
Sign in online to your iCloud account with this link: https://privacy.apple.com/
You'll need your Apple ID, and hopefully a device authentication - like a pop up from your iPad with an authentication code.
Reminder: if you haven't already enabled two factor authentication for your iCloud account, please, please DO THIS NOW!
Once you are signed in, you'll be on a page titled "Manage your data. There, click on the link to "Request a copy of your data."
After you click on Continue, you'll be asked to choose a maximum file size for the download.
Like the Google effort, choosing 1 or 2 GB size should be fine for download with a speedy internet connection.
When you select "Complete request", the page will notify you that the download is being prepared and that an email to your icloud email account (your mac.com, .me.com, icloud.com email) will notify of its completion. You'll already receive an email confirmation of this.
Time for another iced coffee!
A couple of days later, an email will notify you that your download of Apple data is ready. In this email, click on "Get your data' to get back to your Apple data page.
Reminder: if you haven't already enabled two factor authentication for your iCloud account, please, please DO THIS NOW!
Once you are signed in, you'll be on a page titled "Manage your data. There, click on the link to "Request a copy of your data."
You'll then - and this is getting pretty old by this point - see a screen with categories of your data. For this exercise, touch "Select all."
After you click on Continue, you'll be asked to choose a maximum file size for the download.
Like the Google effort, choosing 1 or 2 GB size should be fine for download with a speedy internet connection.
When you select "Complete request", the page will notify you that the download is being prepared and that an email to your icloud email account (your mac.com, .me.com, icloud.com email) will notify of its completion. You'll already receive an email confirmation of this.
Time for another iced coffee!
A couple of days later, an email will notify you that your download of Apple data is ready. In this email, click on "Get your data' to get back to your Apple data page.
You'll have to sign in again, hopefully with the assent and code from another one of your Apple devices. Once you do, you'll see a page with a long list of downloads, by the different apple service you've used.
This includes, e.g. all of the data that you sync among devices using iCloud, like iCloud Drive data, your Notes app data, photos, etc. For this exercise, I suggest excluding the synced data - as you already know what that is.
Instead download these,
and these, 
So that's it with Apple for now.
Conclusion
By the guidance in this post, you'll have been able to download your Facebook, Google, and Apple data. In my next post, I'll explore each of these downloads, and alert you to the highpoints from a privacy perspective.
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