Data Compliance
Last updated: April 4, 2026
Our Compliance Principles
Public Data Only
VStock Data is designed exclusively for collecting publicly accessible web data — content that any unauthenticated browser can access. We do not support or facilitate access to data behind login walls, paywalls, or access-restricted systems.
robots.txt Awareness
Our platform surfaces robots.txt directives to users and flags targets that disallow scraping. While robots.txt is advisory rather than legally binding in most jurisdictions, we encourage users to respect it and consider it part of responsible scraping practice.
No PII Collection
Our platform is not intended for collecting personally identifiable information (PII) such as names, emails, phone numbers, or addresses at scale. Users who collect PII through the Service are solely responsible for obtaining a lawful basis under applicable data protection law (GDPR Art. 6, CCPA, etc.).
User Responsibility
VStock Data is a neutral technical infrastructure provider. Users are responsible for ensuring their scraping activities comply with the laws of their jurisdiction and the terms of service of target websites. We are not liable for misuse of the platform.
Rate Limiting & Ethical Crawling
We enforce configurable rate limiting on all scraping jobs and default to conservative request rates that avoid placing undue load on target servers. This mirrors the behavior of responsible crawlers like Googlebot.
Data Minimization
We retain scraped data on our infrastructure only as long as needed to deliver it to you — maximum 30 days by default. Users may configure shorter retention windows or immediate deletion after delivery.
Standards & Certifications
Legal FAQs
Is web scraping legal?
In most jurisdictions, scraping publicly available data is legal. Key rulings such as hiQ Labs v. LinkedIn (9th Circuit, 2022) affirm that scraping publicly accessible data does not violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. However, laws vary by country and use case. Users should consult legal counsel for their specific situation.
Does bypassing anti-bot systems violate the law?
Bypassing technical access controls on publicly accessible data is a legally debated area. VStock Data's technology is designed to emulate legitimate browser behavior — it does not break encryption, access private systems, or circumvent authentication. Our users are responsible for ensuring their activities comply with applicable law and site terms.
How do you handle GDPR compliance?
VStock Data itself is GDPR-compliant as a data processor. We maintain Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with all enterprise customers. If you are scraping data about EU residents, you act as the data controller and must ensure a lawful basis for processing. Contact [email protected] to request a DPA.
Do you comply with the CFAA (Computer Fraud and Abuse Act)?
Yes. VStock Data is designed to access only publicly available data that requires no authorization. We do not support bypassing authentication systems or accessing private computer systems, which are the activities prohibited by the CFAA.
Can I use VStock Data to scrape social media?
Social media platforms typically prohibit scraping in their ToS. While scraping publicly visible social media data may be legally permissible in some jurisdictions, VStock Data users are responsible for compliance with platform-specific terms. Enterprise customers may request a compliance review for their specific use case.
Compliance Inquiries
For compliance reviews, DPA requests, or abuse reports, contact us at [email protected]. We aim to respond within 2 business days.