In today's world, information is as vital as ever. But as its volumes continue to grow and processing and organizing it become more challenging, innovative solutions for gathering data become necessary for businesses. Yet, it's not only the commercial sector but also the general public who benefit from these solutions.
Žydrūnas Tamašauskas, our Chief Technology Officer, explains that web scraping technology involves an automated process of collecting publicly available data in large quantities from specific websites, which companies can immediately leverage. Web scraping allows organizations to gain well-founded and timely insights, assisting in planning business activities and making strategic decisions.
At Oxylabs, we adhere to strict policies regarding the ethical collection of Internet data. Investing significant time and effort, our dedicated teams focus on ensuring that our operations align with the highest standards of business ethics.
"A prime example is online shopping, where companies actively use data scraping to acquire real-time information about consumer habits and understand competitors' actions, like price changes. This, in turn, allows retailers to meet their customers' needs and offer products at competitive prices", says Žydrūnas.
As the demand for big data is actively increasing, so are the ways to apply it in various daily scenarios.
Use in everyday life
There are many examples of how web scraping technology simplifies our daily lives. Žydrūnas mentions the most obvious one: when browsing the internet, search engines heavily rely on web scraping technology to index all websites, directing users to sources that answer their queries based on specific keywords. Imagine doing all this yourself instead of simply googling a question and getting an answer.
Web scraping technology can be used for the public good, too. We initiated the pro bono project Project 4β, which united universities, researchers, and organizations to address various social issues.
Another instance is finding the best price for a product, where product price comparison pages use web scraping technology to gather needed information in seconds. Likewise, web scraping is helpful for planning travel, with travel itinerary websites offering the best prices for tickets and accommodation. This helps users save hours and hours of browsing various websites for the best deals.
Ethical data collection
Žydrūnas draws attention to the fact that web scraping is a relatively new technology that lacks widely established legal regulations. What does it mean for companies?
"Businesses must carefully assess the information they plan to collect, considering potential legal violations such as copyright infringement. In cases of uncertainty, consulting legal professionals and evaluating all aspects of the data collection process is crucial."
At Oxylabs, we adhere to strict policies regarding the ethical collection of Internet data. Investing significant time and effort, our dedicated teams focus on ensuring that our operations align with the highest standards of business ethics.
That’s why we co-founded the Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative (EWDCI), aiming to increase the public’s trust in web scraping technology and set and promote the highest standards of ethics for this industry.
Addressing social issues
Web scraping technology can be used for the public good, too. We initiated the pro bono project Project 4β, which united universities, researchers, and organizations to address various social issues. For example, this project has established strong partnerships with institutions such as the University of Michigan and Northwestern University, sharing resources and knowledge.
After winning the Govtech Lab Challenge, we collaborated with the Communications Regulatory Authority of the Republic of Lithuania (RRT) and created an AI-powered web scraping tool to detect illegal visual content related to sexual violence against children. This solution has been integrated into RRT's daily operations since 2022, helping eliminate illegal websites and hold responsible individuals accountable.
Another one of our projects is Ad Site Web Crawler, built in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Department of Lithuania. This tool is designed to find ads that sell prohibited fishing and hunting equipment, endangered and invasive animals and plants, unlawful waste disposal services and other ads that violate environmental laws. Making the work of environmental protection specialists more efficient, Ad Site Web Crawler has already helped identify and prosecute offenders.
Does web scraping technology sound exciting and impactful to you, too? We could use your talents to build solutions for a more innovative future — browse our open positions.
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