It probably goes without saying that it's not only Apple being targeted with Google's initiative; more directly, it's other Web-based storage and service providers. Given the trepidation increasingly , making a grand gesture that your data is still yours makes perfect sense from a business perspective. Just look to this excerpt from Google's Data Liberation announcement:

"We believe that users, not products, own their data and should be able to quickly and easily take that data out of any product without a hassle. We'd rather have loyal users who use Google products because they're innovative, not because they lock users in."

Putting It All Together

So is Google using this movement to reinforce certain public images, both for itself and for its competitors? Sure. But in doing that, is it also taking a positive step that'll be beneficial to its users? Absolutely.

Opening up the Web and allowing us to easily reclaim our data puts the power in our hands. If that means we have to hear some dramatic talk about a Data Liberation Front and how it's fighting the evil rights-slaying dragons -- well, that's one tradeoff that might just be worth our while.