Policy · 12h ago
NY Bill Targeting Anonymous Web Crawlers Threatens Open Web
New York's Stealth Crawler Protection Act, passed by the legislature and awaiting the governor's signature, would require automated data collectors to identify themselves. Critics argue this would block anonymous crawlers used by journalists, researchers, and cybersecurity professionals for public-interest work. Similar bills are expected in other states and Congress, risking the open web's benefits.
Meridian48 take
The bill's name implies a threat, but anonymous crawling enables accountability journalism and security research—legislation should target harmful scraping, not all anonymity.
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“Stealth Crawlers” Are Not a Threat to the Open Web. Bills Targeting Them Would Be. →
EFF
web-scrapingprivacy-legislation