ODPA tells businesses to protect against data scraping
BUSINESSES should be taking measures to prevent data scraping by bots, the Office of the Data Protection Authority has advised.

The authority stated that there had been a suspected data scraping incident in the Bailiwick, in which an online business directory appeared to have been be scraped by a third party, using an automated tool. It 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.’
Businesses are advised to use some simple, low-cost strategies to minimise the risk of these issues occurring.
This includes rate limiting, which is a technique used to limit the number of actions a user can make on a website in quick succession, safeguarding against automated bots.
Another option is using the Captcha tool, which requires users to confirm that they are human by completing a quick and simple task.
The ODPA recommends employing these 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 protect their personal information, including reading website privacy policies, being cautious about what information is shared online and understanding privacy settings.
n Anyone concerned about that their personal information or data rights have been compromised can contact the ODPA at info@odpa.gg or call 01481 742074.