Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative: Public Comment Period Open

The public deserves digital peace of mind.

The Internet Infrastructure Coalition ( i2Coalition) has teamed up with some of the leading data aggregation companies to form the Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative, (EWDCI), to develop and implement a set of standards for how data is collected and used.

Web data collection includes data that is aggregated from various sources, including mobile applications as well as the open web. But “scraping” doesn’t have to be a dirty word. EWDCI outlined its commitments around web data collection practices on February 28, 2023, and is now seeking public feedback on its core  principles document. This focuses on four key areas:

• Legality
• Ethics
• Social Responsibility
• Ecosystem Engagement

You can read our Principles 1.0 Document here. The EWDCI is dedicated to defining positive uses of web data collection and aggregation at scale—from search engine functionality to empowering better consumer price comparisons—and refuses to let the industry be defined by bad actors. 

Furthermore, the EWDCI is building a framework to establish an open, participatory process around the development of legal and ethical web scraping provider principles.

Your feedback is important: to comment on our Principles, visit the EWDCI website. You deserve to have a say in how the best practices around the use of your public data are formed.

The public comment period is open from March 17–April 28, 2023.

What our collaborators are saying on social media:

We’re proud to partner with the @i2Coalition to launch the Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative (#EWDCI).💡

This consortium will strengthen public trust, promote ethical guidelines & help biz make informed data collection choices. #webscraping 👇https://t.co/hzzsaQaxYf

— Smartproxy (@smartproxy_com) March 2, 2023

The Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative marks the beginning of greater #webscraping industry accountability in the following key areas:

✅ Legality;
✅ Ethics;
✅ Ecosystem Engagement;
✅ Social Responsibility.#ethicaldatahttps://t.co/2hEQvWGXeY

— Oxylabs.io (@oxylabs) March 6, 2023

We’re proud to partner with the @i2Coalition to launch the Ethical Web Data Collection Initiative (EWDCI).

This industry-led consortium will strengthen public trust, promote #ethical guidelines & and help businesses make informed #data collection choices.https://t.co/tr0V5PgjOC

— Coresignal (@CoresignalHQ) February 28, 2023

Creating and contributing to the Ethical Web Data Collection initiative is part of the i2Coalition’s mission to protect innovation and the continued growth of the Internet’s infrastructure, so both the businesses that create the modern Internet and the people who use it can thrive.