Meet Google's 'Data Liberation Front'

14.09.2009
You say you want a revolution? Google's hoping you do -- at least, when it comes to being able to take your cloud-stored data wherever you want.

The G-Team has a dramatic-sounding group called the "." Translated out of Hollywood-speak, the Data Liberation Front is part of a Google-based movement to let you import and export your personal information from Google's online services without a hassle. And, suffice it to say, the DL (as it's being abbreviated) is no longer being kept on the DL (down-low).

Google's Data Liberation Front

Google started widely promoting its Data Liberation Front Monday, though the group has been in existence for some time. Already, the DL is working to help you "liberate" your data from Google's various products; in fact, numerous Google services are already set up for painless exporting, including Gmail, Blogger, and Google Reader.

"Said simply, a liberated product is one which has built-in features that make it easy (and free) to remove your data from the product in the event that you'd like to take it elsewhere," Google Data Liberation Engineering Manager Brian Fitzpatrick explains.

Up next, the DL plans to focus on Google Sites and Google Docs, allowing you to grab your info out of the services with a single batch export. It's set up a new and to let you keep track of its progress.