Exported data uses standard, non-proprietary format with documented schema

GDPR Art. 20(1) specifies that data portability must deliver data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format. CCPA §1798.110(d) requires that exports be provided in a format that allows transmission to another entity. A proprietary binary export, a JSON file with cryptic abbreviated field names, or an unversioned blob does not satisfy either requirement — users cannot interpret it, import it into another tool, or verify its completeness. This is a gap regulators check explicitly: if your export requires technical assistance to parse, it fails the portability standard. Beyond compliance, a well-structured export is also a trust signal that you built the product to serve users, not trap them.

Structure all data exports as self-documenting JSON with a _meta block, full descriptive field names, and a format version number.

{
  "_meta": {
    "exportedAt": "2026-04-18T10:00:00Z",
    "formatVersion": "1.0",
    "schemaUrl": "https://example.com/docs/data-export-schema",
    "description": "Personal data export. All timestamps are UTC ISO 8601."
  },
  "profile": {
    "id": "usr_abc123",
    "email": "user@example.com",
    "displayName": "Alice",
    "createdAt": "2025-01-15T08:30:00Z"
  },
  "activityHistory": [
    { "eventType": "page_view", "path": "/dashboard", "occurredAt": "2026-02-20T14:22:00Z" }
  ],
  "purchases": [
    { "orderId": "ord_xyz", "amount": 2900, "currency": "usd", "createdAt": "2026-01-10T09:00:00Z" }
  ]
}

Use full descriptive field names — never abbreviations like ts, uid, or amt. Publish schema documentation at the schemaUrl and update it with the format version when the export structure changes.