Main the Battle Towards Scraping-for-Rent

At this time, Meta is combating again towards a scraping-for-hire service and filed a authorized motion towards Voyager Labs in federal courtroom in California. Voyager Labs is a scraping and surveillance service that improperly collected information from Fb, Instagram and different web sites. We disabled Voyager’s accounts, filed this motion to implement our Phrases and Insurance policies and requested the Courtroom to ban Voyager from Fb and Instagram.

Voyager developed and used proprietary software program to launch scraping campaigns towards Fb and Instagram, and web sites resembling Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Telegram. Voyager designed its scraping software program to make use of faux accounts to scrape information accessible to a consumer when logged into Fb, together with customers profile info, posts, associates lists, photographs and feedback. Voyager used a various system of computer systems and networks in numerous international locations to cover its exercise, together with when Meta subjected the faux accounts to verifications or checks. Voyager didn’t compromise Fb, as a substitute it used faux accounts to scrape publicly viewable info. 

Our lawsuit alleges that Voyager has violated our Phrases of Service towards faux accounts and unauthorized and automatic scraping. We’re looking for a everlasting injunction towards Voyager to guard folks towards scraping-for-hire companies. Firms like Voyager are a part of an business that gives scraping companies to anybody whatever the customers they aim and for what function, together with as a method to profile folks for prison habits.  This business covertly collects info that folks share with their group, household and associates, with out oversight or accountability, and in a manner which will implicate folks’s civil rights. 

These companies function throughout many platforms and nationwide boundaries, and require a collective effort from platforms, policymakers and civil society to discourage the abuse of those capabilities. Meta will proceed to take motion towards some of these entities. Study extra about scraping and what you are able to do to guard your info in our Assist Heart.