In a move aimed at protecting user data, Facebook’s parent company Meta has announced that it is suing the U.S. subsidiary of a Chinese tech company called Octopus Data, accusing it of offering data-scraping services for Facebook and Instagram.
The Problem with Data Scraping
Data scraping, a practice where automated tools gather data en-masse from websites, has been a long-standing issue for Meta and other internet companies. The social networking giant has had to contend with numerous cases of web-scraping in the past, but this latest case is particularly notable given the recent court ruling that web-scraping is legal.
In January 2023, a U.S. court reaffirmed an earlier ruling that web-scraping is permissible under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), a cybersecurity law that governs computer hacking in the U.S. While this decision was celebrated by many across the industrial spectrum, including archivists, researchers, and journalists who rely on scraping publicly available data, it also dealt a serious blow to legitimate privacy and security concerns around how people’s data can be harnessed without their permission.
Meta’s Lawsuit Against Octopus Data
Meta is now pursuing similar legal action against Octopus Data, the U.S. offshoot of a ‘Chinese national high-tech enterprise’ called Shenzhen Vision Information Technology Co. The company claims to have launched its core product in 2016 and offers services across numerous sites including Twitter, YouTube, Amazon, LinkedIn, and more.
According to Meta’s court filing, Octopus charges its customers a fee to access a software product called Octoparse to launch scraping attacks, or they can also pay Octopus to scrape websites directly. For it to work, customers must give access to their accounts, which allows the software to glean data that’s normally only available to logged-in users, including Facebook friends, email addresses, birth dates, phone numbers, and Instagram followers.
The Case Against Ekrem Ates
In addition to its lawsuit against Octopus Data, Meta is also taking action against an individual who was using a tool called "Insta Grabber" to scrape data from Instagram. The individual, Ekrem Ates, has been accused of violating Facebook’s terms of service and could face fines or other penalties.
The Importance of Protecting User Data
Meta’s lawsuits are aimed at protecting user data and preventing others from following suit. In an era where online privacy is becoming increasingly important, companies like Meta must take proactive steps to safeguard their users’ information.
Related Developments
- Recent court rulings have reaffirmed the legality of web-scraping under the CFAA.
- Data scraping has been a long-standing issue for Meta and other internet companies.
- Companies like Meta are taking proactive steps to protect user data and prevent others from following suit.
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Sources:
- Meta’s court filing against Octopus Data
- Recent court rulings on web-scraping under the CFAA
- Industry reports on data scraping and online privacy
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