I've actually setup a system where I download this zip file once every 3 months.
My main point is that the barrier to entry for making a new social network/reader etc is not one of innovation. Search for instance is hard to compete with because the bar has been set so high. Facebook is impossible to compete with because of its walls. I don't feel this page brings those walls down.
Facebook specifically prohibits this. If I'm not mistaken only the account holder can download the data, you need to enter your password and bypass captcha. Also the download link is sent to your email.
The prevailing argument against regulation is usually cost. "It would be expensive to implement this! MILLIONS OF DOLLARS!" and to the uninformed outsider this has a ring of truth to it. However any cost figure would be largely overstated as facebook and other big providers are already complying with European data laws. As such the fundamental architecture and implementation have already been done for a non-trivial segment of the internet population. All it would really take is rolling out that infrastructure to the US. Not to say it would be a completely painless process, but they already established a lot of knowhow.
My main point is that the barrier to entry for making a new social network/reader etc is not one of innovation. Search for instance is hard to compete with because the bar has been set so high. Facebook is impossible to compete with because of its walls. I don't feel this page brings those walls down.