Global expectations of social media platforms and other sites to safeguard against unlawful data scraping

Summary:

The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and 11 international data protection and privacy counterparts have released a joint statement to address the issue of data scraping on social media platforms and other publicly accessible sites. The statement highlights the risks associated with data scraping, including the collection and processing of vast amounts of individuals' personal information without their consent, and the potential exploitation of this information for malicious purposes. The statement sets out expectations for social media companies and website operators to protect individuals' personal information from unlawful data scraping, including implementing technical and procedural controls, monitoring for scraping activities, and taking appropriate legal action when necessary. Individuals are also encouraged to take steps to minimize the privacy risks from data scraping, such as being mindful of the information they share online, understanding and managing privacy settings, and thinking long-term about the consequences of sharing personal information.

Key points:

Data scraping technologies can collect and process vast amounts of individuals' personal information without their consent
This information can be exploited for malicious purposes, such as targeted cyberattacks, identity fraud, and unwanted direct marketing
Social media companies and website operators have obligations to protect individuals' personal information from unlawful data scraping
Individuals can take steps to minimize the privacy risks from data scraping, such as being mindful of the information they share online and understanding and managing privacy settings