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Bailiwick Data Protection Advisory - Data Scraping

Published: 31 January 2025

Islanders warned about attempts to scrape personal data

The Office of the Data Protection Authority (ODPA) has been made aware of a suspected data scraping incident in the Bailiwick in which an online business directory appeared to be scraped by a third party using an automated tool, who then attempted to sell the data.

Data scraping is the automated extraction of data from the web, including social media platforms and other websites that host publicly accessible personal information. It represents a global risk, with harvested information often sold for profit.
As a signatory of the Joint Global Data Scraping Statement, the ODPA has played a leading role in international efforts to prevent personal data from being harvested in violation of data protection and privacy laws.

“Data scraping can represent a security breach, and businesses in the Bailiwick must protect data with adequate safeguards at the source to prevent unlawful scraping,” said Commissioner Brent Homan, “Failing to do so threatens not only consumers’ data, but their trust.”

For businesses: There are some simple low-cost strategies that can minimise the risk of this occurring:
  • Rate limiting, also known as throttling, is a technique used to limit the number of actions a user can make on a website in quick succession, safeguarding against automated bots
  • CAPTCHA is a widely used tool which requires users to confirm that they are human by completing a quick and simple task
The ODPA recommends these employing measures for any websites with business directories, user profiles, or that store personal data in any other forms.

Individuals can also take steps to empower themselves and better protect their personal information, including:
  • Read the information provided by websites about how they share personal information, including the privacy policy
  • Think about the amount and kinds of information shared and posted online – sharing sensitive information may put them at risk of reputational damage, discrimination, harassment, identity fraud or theft.
  • Understand and manage privacy settings
If you are concerned that your personal information or data rights have been compromised, you can contact the ODPA at info@odpa.gg or by phone at 01481 742074.